Final Fantasy: The Dark Grimoire
by Mike AZ 2
Summary: Takes place sometime after Grimoire of the Rift. Rated T for Violence.
1. A New Adventure Begins

Final Fantasy: Dark Grimoire

Final Fantasy A2: Grimoire of the Rift is, so that you know, a product of Squaresoft. I cannot take credit for something I did not do. Also, since I am a Christian, I am hesitant to use the word god or goddess, since using the lord's name in vain is against the ten commandments. If anyone who reads this doesn't know about the Christian Religion, I recommend reading about it in the bible. Oh, and feel free to ignore the parenthesise in this first chapter, that was just me thinking.

Pairings so far are as follows: Luso/Adelle and Vaan/Penelo.

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Prologue: A New Adventure Begins

Three years passed after Luso had returned to his world from Ivalice after defeating the Dark Mage Illua and the demon Neukhia (is that how the final boss of Grimoire of of the Rift's name was spelled?) with Cid, Adelle and Hurdy's help. Clan Khamja was in shambles, and the remaining members of Clan Gully continued on with their usual work. The Sky Pirate Vaan and his partner Penelo went back to treasure hunting, and Frimelda remained with Clan Gully.

In Luso's World, the young brunette hero had finished middle school and focused more on his schoolwork. Everything seemed to be in peace.

Luso was currently enjoying another summer vacation, when he and his aunt recieved an unexpected visitor from Luso's old school. There was a knock at the door, and Luso's aunt answered.

The visitor was the librarian Mewt Randell. The woman was surprised" oh, who are you?".

The man replied" I am Mewt Randell, a school librarian, is your nephew here?" "yes he's in his room" said May. She then frowned" Why do you ask?"

"There is something I need to talk to him about" said the librarian "okay" said May.

Luso heard his aunt call from the living room and hurried out. When he saw the visitor he said" Mr. Randell? Is that you?"

"Yes, I needed to talk to you about something" said the librarian. Luso could not help but ask" what for?". Mewt replied" I saw that you somehow got yourself involved in finishing another half in my blank book".

Luso flushed" w-well I didn't know I would end up in Ivalice. So what else is up?"

Mewt said" it was a dangerous thing to do, Luso. It wasn't what I had in mind, but if you had died in that world, your mind would have been destroyed and you would have gone to heaven".

Aunt May was shocked" i-s that true?" "well I joined a clan in Ivalice that could not die because it was watched over by a spiritual judge" said Luso.

May thought for a moment" If you had told me outright Luso, I might not have believed you. But honestly its still hard to believe".

Mewt pulled out the book in question, flipped it to towards the end where there were still blank pages and laid it on the table.

The librarian said" I know its a terrible thing to ask, but Luso, there are three slots below this line" "What do they say?" asked May. Mewt read the line: _Know you the name of the one chosen to fill these last barren pages. _Luso spoke up" do you know what the backwards words stuff is about?".

Mewt replied" I don't know". Luso said" I would not mind a chance to see what its about".

May frowned" I don't think you're ready Luso".

Mewt said" even if you go, who knows if you can return again". Luso hesitated" maybe you can come". His aunt replied" I don't want you to go anywhere alone either, but I know I can't be with you forever". Mewt explained" I know it was all a bad thing to ask of you. But I needed someone to help me with my research on space and time, also there are distortions occuring in both worlds".

Luso shrugged" well, I will take my chances". Mewt replied" then write your name in, assuming thats how you stumbled into that other world". The young male brunette nodded, then picked up a pen then wrote his name in the blank page. As he felt himself being teleported, Mewt called after him" We will join you later! I am working on a device that should enable us to freely cross demensions!".

Luso knew the librarian could not hear him, but shouted" okay!".

* * *

Sorry I keep changing the contents of this chapter. Not that anyone would notice, no offense. Please feel free to review. Oh, and I believe this is a cliffhanger.


	2. Ivalice Revisited

That first chapter wasn't all that long. My first reviewer of this story pointed that out, and I will make it a bit longer out of respect. Oh, and if you didn't catch my disclaimer the first time, remember: Squaresoft created FFT A2, I had nothing to do with it.

* * *

Chapter 1: Ivalice Revisited

Luso had eventually ended up in Ivalice one again. He looked around "This must be it," Luso thought.

As Luso explored the familiar landscape, he saw that the sun began to set.

Luso thought "I better make it to the nearest village", but before he could go any further, some bandits accosted him. One of the thieves sneered" Well, look what we have here."

Luso gasped "Who the heck are you?"

"Save your breath boy, and prepare to die," snarled the bandit leader.

Luso was in big trouble, he didn't bring any weapons, but just as the bandits advanced, a familliar voice shouted "Stop right there, Punks!"

Luso turned to see a familiar pink-haired woman with a red ribbon in her hair and a pink outfit.

The bandit leader snarled "Another loudmouthed fool? You'll regret insulting me!"

The woman snapped "Worry about yourself!" and launched herself at the bandits. With his backup, Luso outwitted the bandits. The brigands put up a fight, but Luso's team won. The pink-haired woman smirked "That was too easy. A bunch like that is hardly worth my time."

Luso looked astonished as he recognized the woman's voice "Adelle? Is that you?" he asked.

" Huh? Who are you really?." said Adelle.

" It's me, Luso. It's been three years" said the brunette.

Adelle was puzzled" Seriously though, all this time... It's really you for real Luso? I really missed you."

" Yeah, I thought of you and Clan Gully sometimes. How is everything?" said Luso.

Adelle replied" No sweat, I was actually tracking down these foolish bandits here. Now I can turn them in and get my pay at Camoa and return to the inn where the others are staying. Are you coming?"

Luso smiled "Sure thing."

An hour later, Luso and Adelle reached Camoa. Adelle picked up her pay at the bar and the two went to the inn. There, Luso saw Cid, Frimelda and two other of his old allies. Cid was surprised "Adelle! Glad you managed to make it back. Is that you Luso?"

The brunette nodded "Yeah, I actually came here via the same grimoire."

Cid sighed "That 'magick book' again? Well, I won't push you, but why did you come back?" Luso explained how in the real world there were distortions in his town and in Ivalice, and that he was helping to investigate.

The blade master, Frimelda, was puzzled "Now that you mentioned it, Jylland has had reports of a mysterious dark vortex shaping itself somewhere. Rumors aren't proof, of course, but we and the rest of Clan Gully are doing whatever is possible to help people."

Luso shrugged "I imagine so. By the way, any chance that I can rejoin your clan for a while Cid?"

Cid thought for a moment, then replied "Normally one cannot rejoin a clan that you left, but I guess it's possible that you can come with us on missions again."

Luso smiled "Really?"

"Yes, though you'd best buy some equipments tomorrow, because there are new missions being posted on the notice board at the bar," said Adelle.

Cid grunted "Well, we best get some rest."

At dawn the next morning, Luso woke up next to Cid. The blonde-haired man said "You ready, Luso?"

Luso nodded "Yeah."

"The item shop is not too far. Here, I'll lend you some gill, meet me at the bar when you're ready," said Cid.

Luso then headed to the item shop, where he bought some basic soldier equipment with the money Cid lent him and went to the bar.

Once there, Cid spoke with Luso "Passible enough. Now apparently, there have been very few monster-hunting missions lately, but I'm not complaining. In fact there's talk about some Clan Tourneys taking place in other regions of Ivalice."

Luso asked "Where are they?"

"According to the board, there is one being held in Rabanastre to the east of here in a month from now," said Frimelda.

Luso grinned "Let's check it out."

"Same as always aren't you?" smiled Adelle.

Cid spoke up "Might as well, we don't know enough to try to investigate the mysterious 'distortions' in Jylland anyway."

Adelle piped up "What of the other clan members?"

"Most of our clan will need to remain in Jylland in case there's work that needs to be done here, tell Rodrick that he's in charge here while we're in Dalmasca," replied Cid.

Adelle smiled "Yes sir," then left the bar. Cid turned to Luso "We'll head to Moorabella and prepare to head for Dalmasca via the Moorabella Aerodrome."

Luso shrugged "I honestly didn't know how big Ivalice is."

"There are other regions besides Jylland, Rozarria, and Dalmasca" said Cid.

The following day, Luso, Adelle, Cid, the Viera white mage Bremah, and the Nu Mou black mage Anthony began their journey to Dalmasca.

Luso asked "So whats Dalmasca like?"

"Never been there myself, but I heard that its mostly desert," said Cid.

"Do you think we'll ever see Vaan, Penelo or Hurdy again?" asked Luso.

Bremah replied "Those two sky pirates left shortly after you did. They only stayed because they needed to know more about Clan Khamja, which is still in shambles after the death of Illua. Hurdy most likely returned to Dalmasca with his brother Montblanc."

The next few days passed quickly as the members of Clan Gully arrived at Moorabella. Cid paid the fare at one of the desks and the group boarded a private airship en route to Dalmasca. Onboard, Luso and Adelle got together in one of the cabins. Adelle spoke first "It sure is good to see you again Luso."

"You too, Adelle, though to be honest, there will be other people from my world coming as well."

Adelle was surprised "Really?"

"Mewt Randell, a librarian from my old school, is researching space/time theories. He said something about making a gate key," said Luso.

Adelle responded "Interesting, oh and what is your world like?"

Luso hesitated, then replied "It is very different from Ivalice, this world that is, since my hometown has the same name. Not much in the way of air travel, but its a good place"

"I wish I could have seen it," sighed Adelle.

Luso then asked "How are things in Clan Gully?"

"Same as always, and I saw that you haven't changed much" said Adelle.

Luso flushed then said "Well, guess I'll go to sleep till we get to Dalmasca".

Adelle nodded "Yeah, me too. I cannot help but wonder what that kingdom will be like."

The pair went into their respective rooms until the airship arrived at their destination.

* * *

That was a pretty good chapter huh? To be honest, I rarely ever update, but I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter. I know there's not much action, but it will be action-packed most of the chapters. As always, feel free to review.

My apologies for changing this chapter a bit at the last minute. I just had a minor detail to fix, I owe RRG thanks for pointing it out for me.


	3. The Tournament

Chapter 2: The Tournament

Upon reaching Dalmasca, Luso, Adelle, Cid, Bremah, and Athony disembarked from the airship and found themselves at the western part of the royal city of Rebanastre. Luso was astonished" this is Dalmasca?"

" we should stay close so that we don't get separated, I may not have been here before, but we're in the Royal City of Rebanastre" said Cid.

Adelle piped up" so where do we go now?" "Hey, didn't expect to see you guys here, Kupo!" said a tiny voice that Cid, Adelle and Luso knew from their previous adventures.

The group turned to see a familiar blue-clad moogle with a blue pompom on his head. Luso couldn't help but call" Hurdy? Is that you?"

The moogle beamed" yep, gosh, its been a while Luso" " you live here Hurdy?" asked Adelle.

Hurdy shrugged" yeah, that whole "bard" thing was just a hobby, Kupo. My real job is a 'Moogling' transportation attendant. Me and some of my fellow moogles who work in that department uses magick to transport customers to a different part of Rebenastre, kupo".

Cid spoke up" interesting, well Luso, Adelle and myself came here to participate in a tournament that's taking place here. I heard of this city, but never been here so I was about to inquire where the tournament is taking place".

" the Plaza of course, Kupo! Also, you have to sign up at the Palace where they're handling registration since apparently they can't fit in more then a few groups " said Hurdy. " Where is the palace?" asked Adelle.

Hurdy replied" the entrance to the palace is at the Northern section of Rebenastre. Do you need a 'moogling transport' assist?"

Cid replied" I never have used the 'moogling system' you mentioned, but we'll go along with it".

Hurdy beamed again" all right then, its been some time since I last did this but here we go, kupo". Hurdy recited a teleportation spell and transported Cid, Luso, Adelle, Bremah and Anthony to the north end of Rebenastre.

At the north end, the group went to the palace and went up to the registration desk. Cid gathered information about the tournament, signed in his clan's name on the Tournament Contestant list, then addressed Luso" we'll have to remain in Rebanastre, there's an inn at the East Side where the contestants are staying".

When they got to the inn, Cid further explained to Luso what he learned about the tournament" the contest is in a couple days, feel free to buy anything you need at the shops, but don't go too far" said Cid, handing over some money to Luso and Adelle.

Adelle asked" what about you Cid?" " I will wait here at the inn, just watch yourselves, the rest of you stay here as well" said Cid " Will do, Cid" said Luso.

As Luso and Adelle headed out to explore Rebenastre's east side, they ran into two more familiar faces, both of them had blonde hair. Adelle recognized them" Hey! What are you guys doing here?" " Luso? Adelle? what are you doing here?" asked the female blonde.

Luso explained" I didn't expect to see you and Vaan here, Penelo. Cid, Adelle, myself and two other members of Clan Gully signed up for a tournament that's taking place here in a couple days".

Vaan smiled" seriously? Penelo and I signed up with some acquaintances of ours as well. We are taking a break from treasure hunting and came back to our hometown."

Luso asked" so you lived here? I didn't know that" " its a long story, we were just about to do some shopping. I know the owner of the item shop in Rebenastre's east end well" said Penelo.

Adelle spoke to Penelo" you mentioned some acquaintances, who else is with you?".

Vaan interjected" Penelo and I have two other allies. They are on a different team though. Not to mention that we'll be up against not only other clans, but another group of sky pirates."

Penelo added" we didn't expect to compete with our old allies from Clan Gully though."

Luso shrugged" well anyway, since the four of us are shopping at the same time, want to come with us?" " no trouble at all" said Penelo.

After buying some recovery items at Migelo's Sundries, the four updated their equipment at the weapon and armor shops.

When they were done, they started to head back to the inn. Luso spoke" any chance we'll see each other in the finals?" " depends, luck can sometimes dictate who wins in a tournament" replied Vaan.

Penelo raised an eyebrow" why did you ask anyway?"

" I was thinking just now, how strong are you Vaan?" Inquired Luso.

" if we were to clash, don't expect me to go easy" said Vaan. Adelle frowned" didn't we do this in Camoa?"

" dosen't count, those two impostors didn't have anything on us" said Vaan.

Adelle smirked" then we'll just have to both make our way to the finals during the tourney" " good luck you two, give our regards to Cid" said Penelo.

Upon returning to their room, Luso and Adelle reported what happened earlier.

Cid shrugged" well, I wouldn't be too surprised if what those two sky pirates said was true" " I didn't think I'd be competing with Vaan, I can't help but wonder how he is compared to me" said Luso. Adelle raised an eyebrow" really? Why is that?".

Luso responded" I know we've seen Vaan and Penelo fight after they joined our clan, but this might be interesting"

" Don't kid yourself Luso, we might be surprised" said Cid.

Bremah entered the conversation" we'd best get some rest and prepare for the tournament" " I agree" said Cid.

The group went to bed and spent the next day training in the surrounding desert areas of Dalmasca.

Luso and Adelle didn't see Vaan or Penelo again during that time, nor did they know what to expect in the coming contest.

The next day, Cid, Luso, Adelle, Bremah, and Anthony headed for the plaza to compete in the tournament.

As they entered the arena, they saw not only Vaan and his gang, but some new and more familiar faces.

Vaan, who was among the other competitors, spoke to Luso" Penelo told me to wish you luck" "you too" smiled Luso.

Eventually, the contest began, and Luso's team's first opponent turned out to be the members of House Bowen.

The leader of House Bowen smiled" good to see you again, Cid".

Cid shrugged" same to you Bowen, well, may the best clan win"

" I couldn't agree more" said Bowen.

The first round went somewhat smooth for Luso and his friends. Bowen clashed with Cid and Luso, Adelle outwitted Veis with Bremah's help and rushed to see if Cid and Luso needed help. Anthony was dueling the Illusionist. Eventually, Clan Gully dominated the first round.

Bowen was impressed" that was a good match" " same to you" said Luso.

The second round was slightly tougher, for the team Luso, Adelle, Cid, Bremah and Anthony faced next was the Arbitors of Death Clan. That clan was all talk though, and easily beaten by Clan Gully.

The Prima Dona group didn't last long in the tournament either, Clan Gully had actually faced House Bowen and Prima Dona in previous tournaments in their last adventure.

By the time the group reached the semi-finals, they encountered a group of sky pirates that they haven't met, one of whom is a few years older then Vaan.

Adelle gasped" who are you?"

" Really, what kind of tournament in Dalmasca woudn't let in the leading man? Or rather I did call myself that for a while" said the voice.

Cid was astonished" I heard about you"

" The name's Baltheir" said the man.

Bremah did a slight double-take at the sight of Baltheir's partner" never thought I'd see more then one of my sisters here in the tournanent".

The other Viera spoke softly" I understand your surprise".

Vaan, who was watching the other combatants with Penelo, gasped" Baltheir? I did not expect to see you".

The older hume sky pirate acknowledged his old apprentice" taking a gander and a shot at this tournament obviously, never underestimate the role of the supporting cast".

Luso was slightly impatient" shouldn't we start this round already?"

" don't underestimate me, of course I have no idea who you are" said Baltheir.

Baltheir and Fran were more experienced then Clan Gully's previous opponents. Luso, Cid and Adelle dodged their bullets while trying to rush them. Anthony quickly cast Blizzaga, but not quickly enough.

Cid had eventually taken a hit in the shoulder, though eventually, Luso managed to launch an Air Render technique on Baltheir. The sky pirate fell back, Fran eventually gave in.

Baltheir breathed" not bad, for a rookie."

Luso shrugged" I was surprised myself actually"

" Vaan, Penelo, Baltheir and myself have had a lot of experience in combat" said Fran.

Meanwhile, the judge overeeing the tournament, a man with blonde hair and black armor glanced at the results of the semi-finals" I'm not surprised to see Fran and Baltheir's skills, yet I wonder if Vaan's group or Clan Gully can win, it was an even match."

The judge's companion, a brown-haired woman shrugged" well, I have to say that it was a good way for the contestants to blow off steam, yet I am concerned at the same time, Basch."

The judge stood up and addressed the tournament contestants and the audiance" I give my praise to the victors so far, and the same to the defeated. But this final round will pit two members of the last two teams against each other, for the queen and I do not wish for any further bloodshed in the tournament."

Luso had to ask" who is that man in black?" " That's Judge Gabranth, or Basch, as his real name was. Vaan and I traveled with him and Queen Ashellia twice" said Penelo.

Adelle shrugged" well anyway, I'm kind of tired out and Cid is injured. Luso, you said you wanted to face Vaan in this tournament right?".

Luso flushed" not exactly something like that, but if he doesn't mind, I'll do it".

Vaan stood up" are you sure about this? you might get hurt in this one."

Luso nodded" ready when you are Vaan"

" All right, lets try not to get too trashed" said the young sky pirate.

The two got into the arena and drew their blades. Vaan notified Luso" remember what I said about going easy, Luso?"

" Yes, I have no intention of holding back either" said the younger swordsman.

With that, the two of them crossed swords. Vaan was a more experienced swordsman then Luso, but the younger hero fought his best.

Their duel lasted three minutes, Luso and Vaan were so evenly matched that they knocked each others' blades out of one another's hands.

Vaan smirked" nice one, but here come the fireworks".

The sky pirate focused his inner energy with magickpower and launched a partial Pyroclasm Blast. Luso tried to block it with his shield and narrowly collapsed from the assault while Vaan retrieved his sword.

Luso quickly retrieved his and thrust it at Vaan who evaded the blow and gave him a gash, though Luso returned the blow with a vertical slash. Exhausted, though not terribly injured, Luso gasped" man, that was incredible."

Penelo, who rushed over to heal Luso with her white magick, said" it could have gone either way actually."

Basch, who oversaw the whole tournament announced" Vaan and that other young man proved their mettle, but Clan Gully, which is not widely known, is the victor."

Vaan smiled at Luso while Penelo cast a heal spell on them" you did good, Luso." " you too, Vaan" replied the brunette.

After recovering a bit, Cid, Adelle and Luso went to the balcony where Basch oversaw the tourney. The black-clad judge spoke" congratulations." Luso shrugged" nothing to it your honor, but Vaan was a slightly better fighter then me."

Before anything else could be said or done, a Dalmascan Soldier approached Basch and Ashe" Your excellencies! We got trouble!".

Ashe was alarmed" Where?".

The soldier spoke" the Dalmascan Watch members saw a massive vortex looming from the direction of Nalbina!".

Basch cursed" Blast! I thought they only spread as far as Jylland!".

Cid shrugged" my clan isn't on anyone's payroll right now, besides we saw something like that in Jylland, want us to check it out?".

Ashe replied" I appreciate the offer, but this is a Dalmascan and Archadian affair. Nonetheless, I cannot refuse help no matter where it comes from at this point."

Bowen and Mayhew walked up to Cid, the leader of House Bowen spoke" if we are to investigate, we should do this together, House Bowen and Primma Dona will assist"

" I'm with you too" said Vaan.

Ashe glanced at the young sky pirate" It was good to see you again Vaan, though I had hoped once again that there was time for a proper reunion."

Baltheir interjected" well we best be off soon, I'll prep up the Strahl, most of the other private airships don't hold more then a pair of passengers at a time."

Ashe spoke up once more" be carefull, we don't know whats happening"

" We'll do" said Vaan.

After resting up at the inn, Vaan, Baltheir, Bowen, Mayhew and Luso's teams boarded the Strahl and Vaan's airship respectively. The heros did not know what lay in store for them at the site of the vortex, but they knew that they had to act to find out what was going on throughout Ivalice.

* * *

Quite a chapter huh? Sorry that took a while.

I kind of borrowed some of the ideas for the tournament from Star Ocean: The Second Story. Also, I couldn't think of a better way or chapter to include Vaan, Penelo, Basch, Fran, Baltheir and Ashe from the original Final fantasy XII.

Also, I hope I managed to keep the characters in character so far.

At any rate, this is the longest chaper I've done on this fic so far. Sorry if my grammer isn't better, also I may have mispelled Primma Dona, if someone reading this thinks so too and if there are other mistakes, feel free to let me know or revise it via Private Message so that I can improve it if he or she wants.

As for Mewt Randell, I haven't played the other Final Fantasy Tactics games so I have no idea what he was like as a hero, but I thought I would give him and Luso's aunt a bigger role then they had in Grimoire of the Rift.

Expect to see some original characters, I don't like all of them, and you may not like all of them either, but I figure that I should make up my own villain, since Illua and Ewen were defeated in Grimoire of the Rift. I don't like villains, but I kind of need one to make the story look good and make sense.

Like always, feel free to review.


	4. Fortress of Shadows

Here's the next chapter. Like I have said before, Final Fantasy A2 is the property of Square.

* * *

Chapter 3: Fortress of Shadows

The heroes docked their airships at Nalbina's Aerodrome and gathered information from its citizens. What little they learned surprised them.

At the tavern, Cid shrugged" apparently, mysterious portals have been appearing where the vortexes did." Luso spoke up" so the only way to find out whats happening is to go into one of those portals."

Penelo looked concerned" even if we do, who knows what we might find" " if my hunch is correct, we're dealing with an unknown force here" said Fran.

Vaan sighed" nothing makes sense anymore" " yeah, first the Archadian Imperial Invasion, then Feolthanos, then Khamja, and now this? It seems that everywhere you and I go, Vaan, there's always big trouble" said Penelo.

Bowen spoke up" well I don't care what we're up against. Jylland, Rozarria, and Dalmasca could be in serious trouble, we should act now."

" Then thats what we'll do tomorrow, we'll need to be in tip-top shape for this" said Cid.

The following day, Luso, Cid, Adelle, Bremah, Anthony and their allies set off to the east of Nalbina, which was where the large vortex originated. The mysterious portal was a dark, purple, roundish hole. Adelle was astonished" this is it!".

" Well, we're here, lets go inside to find the source of the abnormalities" said Vaan.

As they stepped onto the portal, a flash of light emitted from their location and the group was warped to a mysterious realm within the rift.

Inside the vortex, the world that Luso and his allies entered was a mysterious twilight realm with a large abandoned castle right in front of them.

Penelo shuddered" this place gives me the creeps, its similar to the realm where the Yahri dwell." Fran gazed at the surroundings" we should not dwell too long, the mist runs thick here" " I feel it too, sister" said Bremah.

Luso was surprised" are all viera related?" " technically that's not true. Figuratively, we're sisters because Fran, Veis and I are of the same tribe of viera" replied Bremah.

Baltheir interjected" I am already beginning to dislike this place, lets check out that building."

When the heroes entered the building, they came across three different paths leading to the upper levels. Vaan was puzzed" now what?".

" we'll split up into teams. I will lead a team, Vaan should lead a team, and Fran should lead one too" said Cid.

Vaan perked" all right. Luso, Penelo, Bremah and Adelle, you come with me" " all right" said Luso.

Cid nodded and said" Anthony, Veis, Mayhew, you're with me. Good luck everyone" " you too, Cid" replied Luso.

As the three teams set off in different directions, Adelle spoke with Luso" you know, if you ask me, this whole adventure seems to be too easy so far" " yeah, it seems that way" replied the brunette.

Penelo interjected" we should stay on our guard, everyone. Never know what we might run into."

At the top floor, the three groups reunited with one another. Luso spoke" haven't found anything, what about you Cid?" " not a thing" replied Cid.

Fran's eyes widened a bit and said" I sense someone, or something" " maybe we can find whatever is causing the distortions and put an end to this" said Luso.

" Thats assuming you can, Luso" said a mysterious voice.

" Who said that? Show yourself!" shouted Cid.

A figure emerged from the darkness. Judging by the shape, Vaan saw that it was a Hume, but was not from Ivalice.

The mystery man was clad in black and purple armor, a huge blade hunge from his back, and he carried a dark tome in his hand.

Luso was surprised" Dorek?".

" Yes, its been a while, Luso" said the man.

Adelle was puzzled" how do you know this guy, Luso?."

" He's also from my world and he's an old friend, but how did you get here Dorek?" said Luso.

Dorek smirked" my old friend, I delved and tapped into a potent supernatural force after my 'disappearence'. In on the outskirts of St. Ivalice, I stumbled upon an old ruin during a school expedition. I investigated, and there were some mysterious tomes and magicite in that ruin."

Penelo was shocked" so YOU'RE the one behind all this!."

" Heh, you are a clever girl aren't you?" smiled Dorek.

Vaan had to restrain himself from ripping Dorek's throat out in agitation, (you lose your concentration if you do anything in anger, I imagine). Instead, he spoke" so why are you attacking Ivalice?".

Dorek darkly replied" attacking you say? Try conquering. You see, I happen to know that Archadia and Rozarria still have a tense rivalry with one another. All I have to do is use this Dark Grimoire to cause havoc in the eastern regions of Ivalice, also, I gave the Rozarrian emperor a nudge, pushing him to eventually invade Dalmasca and Archadia."

" W-what? You Monster! Dorek would never do that! Who are you really, and are you responsible for whats happening in Jylland?" said Luso.

" Jylland was the first of many, Luso. Eventually, both demensions will be sucked into an eternal void and I will cease to be mortal."

" Anyone trying to become godlike has his armor on too tight if you ask me, we won't let you have your way" said Vaan.

" try me then" said Dorek.

With that, the villain summoned powerful monsters from the rift. Cid spoke with Luso" you, Adelle, Vaan and Penelo drag this joker down, we'll handle the rest" " understood" said Luso.

Dorek smirked" tut, tut, it won't be as easy as you think!"

The battle was fierce, as the members of Clan Gully, House Bowen and Prima Donna and the four sky pirates were up against some tough monsters. Balthier, Fran, Bowen and Mayhew were exhausted after wiping out three behemoths.

Vaan unleashed 'Pyroclasm' on Dorek, but the villain repelled the blow with his grimoire. That caused some confusion from Vaan" whats going on? That usually works!".

" so does this! Ultima!" shouted Dorek. Before he could finish his spell, Luso quickly drew his blade aimed a thrust at the Dark Grimoire. But the attack bounced off before he could do any real damage.

Dorek drew his own sword and the two former friends clashed. Luso was no slouch as a swordsman, but Dorek had the upper hand. Adelle and Vaan tried to come to Luso's aid with their Lennart and Pyroclasm abilities, but Dorek shrugged off the assault and blasted them with Ultima.

Penelo, who had done her best to keep up with the damage done to her friends with White Magick, gasped" its no use, he's too powerful."

Dorek crippled the team badly, and said darkly" pathetic, I would've expected more potency then that from Jylland and Dalmasca's heroes, now its all over."

With that, Dorek prepared to finish them off when Penelo threw a teleportation stone in the air, its magic transported her and the rest of the heroes out of the vortex.

Dorek was astonished" hmph! They got away! But no matter. They cannot stop me, and soon there will be nowhere for them to hide."

Outside the vortex, the heroes landed right near Nalbina. Cid grumbled" first time Clan Gully was ever defeated like this" " why didn't you do that sooner, Penelo?" asked Adelle.

Penelo shrugged and replied as she healed her allies with Bremah's help " we could have escaped at any time, but we had to assess what we're dealing with. Besides, Teleportation Stones are rare nowadays."

Before anyone could say anything else, a blue portal emerged and two more people appeared. Luso recognized them" Mr. Randell, Aunt May" " you're safe Luso, thank heavens" sighed May.

Adelle glanced at the older woman" you're Luso's aunt? He told me about you."

" Yes, oh, are you a friend of his?" asked May.

Adelle beamed" yeah you can say that, I'm Adelle, nice to meet you."

Mewt interjected" I see you have made a lot of friends, Luso. How is the investigation so far?".

Luso told Mewt and May about Dorek and the Dark Grimoire. Mewt sighed" this is more serious then I thought."

" Sorry to interrupt this cozy reunion, but we should head back to Rebenastre and report this" said Baltheir.

Vaan shrugged" yeah, but this sounds too outrageous for Basch or Ashe to believe" " we'll come with you, besides we can help once we buy some equipment" said Mewt.

" Back to Nalbina then" said Cid.

* * *

This concludes Chapter 3. Sorry about the cliffhangers, but I guess some authors use them from time to time.

I know that there weren't a lot of adult heroes in the final fantasy series, and I know that Luso's aunt May was probably stricter then that, I hope she wasn't too OOC (out of character).

Then again, there was no actual dialogue in the flashbacks and the ending scene between Luso and his aunt in Grimoire of the Rift except for Luso talking, though I almost wish they included dialogue for her.

Like always, feel free to review.


	5. Mysterious Tidings

Mike AZ 2 here, sorry I'm somewhat slow to proceed with my stories. My regards to Teddypro and the random, anonymous reviewer (whoever he or she might be) for their tips on how to improve the story.

Also, on my honer as a Christian, I forgive the random reviewer, though his or her review wasn't mean at all. Now I'm not sure if Teddyproagrees with me on that. This doesn't mean spam or flames won't hurt me emotionally though.

I don't like the bad guy that I made up last chapter that much, dispite his seeming invincibility, and I know you probably don't like him either. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4: Mysterious Tidings

On the heroes' (plus two new recruits) flight back to Dalmasca, Luso, Adelle, May and Mewt were visiting on the bridge of the Strahl. Luso asked Mewt" do you know anything about the ruins on the town's outskirts?".

" Few know about it, but if Dorek was there, then there must be something connected to this world in the ruins" replied the librarian.

" So why was it possible for someone from your world to randomly appear in Ivalice?" inquired Adelle.

Mewt hesitated, then replied" I don't know everything myself. I was just a boy when I first came to this world, a boy approximately around Luso's childhood years actually."

" Even so, I never knew about this 'Ivalice' world until now. I kind of wonder how many other links between the two worlds there are" said May.

_Yeah, I never thought I'd come back here since I filled in a lot of pages in that old book_, thought Luso.

Fran approached the group" we're about to land in Dalmasca's Aerodrome. We should prepare to disembark" " got it" said Luso.

At the West Rebanastre Aerodrome, a Dalmascan soldier approached Cid" welcome back, the queen was awaiting your report while you were gone, and there's been some terrible news coming from the west."

Penelo inquired" what about Judge Gabranth?" " He had to return to Archadia to alert the emperor. Please accompany me to the palace now, all of you" replied the soldier.

An hour later, at the Royal Palace, the soldier led the group into the throne room. The man informed the brown-haired queen of Dalmasca" they have returned, your majesty".

Ashe nodded" you may leave us, Captain Vicks." The soldier obliged and the queen addressed Cid" welcome back, how was the investigation?".

Cid hesitated, then responded" the situation is turning into a worst-case scenario. A hostile force is trying to conquer Ivalice" " why am I not surprised?" sighed Ashe.

" Its kind of a long story, your highness" said Luso, who tried to remember the correct way to bow before royalty like Penelo showed him while returning to Rebanastre from Archadia.

Ashe noticed Luso's slight fidgeting and raised her hand" please, you are one of Vaan and Penelo's friends, am I wrong? There is no need for such formalities."

" The rest of the report might take a while, should we not discuss this somewhere else?" inquired Balthier.

" The conference room is down the hall to the left of the Audience Chamber, please accompany me" replied Ashe.

At the conference room, the group sat down at the table to further discuss events. Luso explained as best he could about Dorek and the mysterious grimoire that his former friend wielded, not to mention Rozarria's eventual invasion.

The young queen's eyes widened" It can't be... The Dark Grimoire?".

" you know about it?" asked Adelle.

" Only a little, I read a legend about it during my old history lessons, but to hear that such a thing actually exists" Ashe replied, aghast.

" Rozarria's invasion sounded pretty far-fetched, but I heard that some Rozarrian higher-ups are still plotting Archadia's downfall" said Cid.

" I still don't know much about Al-Cid, but he didn't look like the type to attack another country" said Luso.

" Something must have happened to him" said Penelo with a worried expression on her face. " I agree" sighed Vaan.

Just then, Vicks entered the room" your majesty, sorry for the interruption, but we have more visitors" " show them in" said Ashe.

At that moment, Basch entered the conference chamber accompanied by Frimelda, Al-Cid, two brunette sky pirates, a familliar red-haired aegyl, and the young child-emperor of the Archadian Empire, who now looked like he was in his teenage years.

Penelo smiled" Basch! Filo! Llyud! Kytes! Lord Larsa! What a surprise".

" I am pleased to see everyone again, though I wish it was under better circumstances. I recognize some of you, some more then others actually" spoke Larsa.

" Its certainly been a long time time we saw each other last" said Llyud.

" How are things back at Jylland?" inquired Adelle.

" Jylland has fallen, the continents of Loar and Ordalia are in shambles" said Al-Cid, grimly.

" What of the members of Clan Gully that remained in Jylland?" asked Cid.

" Rodrick was severely injured while fighting a legion of Rozarria's imperial army. He is recuperating at Lezaford's hut while the other clan members are trying to hold of Rozarria's 8th battalion" saiid Frimelda.

" How are things at Rozarria Al-Cid?" asked Ashe.

" Terrible, my father is not himself. He is manipulated by an unknown sorcerer who is manipulating not only Rozarria's forces, but the remnants of Khamjahave joined up with them" replied the prince.

" I came across Al-Cid while he was trying to intervene with his guard. He and I fought our way out of that mess and fled as far as we could from the ensuing chaos" said Frimelda.

" What of Lezaford and the Witch of the Fanes?" asked Luso.

" The old man is tougher then he looks, the Witch of the Fanes is not without power either, they should be fine" said Adelle.

_First Illua and now this? Boy, I just can't seem to avoid Khamja forever_, thought Cid.

" The Archadian Imperial army is eager to strike at Rozarria before they can do too much damage. Judge Majister Zargabaath is doing what he can to keep things in control" said Basch.

" So why not stop Emperor Rozarria now?" asked Luso.

" We can do nothing unless we can gather more information about the Dark Grimoire" replied Fran.

" That and the Archadian Imperial Army has still not fully replenished its ranks. And aside from numbers, Rozarria has the Dark Grimoire, curtisy of this 'Dorek' individual" said Larsa.

" If you don't mind, I will take a small team back to St. Ivalice to gather info from the ruins" said Mewt.

" Any information you can find in Luso's world would help. I will try to do some research on the Dark Grimoire at the Royal Library" said Ashe.

" The rest of us will marshall the armies of Dalmasca and Archadia to counter the Rozarria threat" spoke Basch.

" I will go with Mr. Randell" said Luso.

May stood up" I'm coming with you, would you mind coming too, Adelle?".

Adelle smiled" sure thing!".

" Penelo and I will also help, besides I can't help but be a bit curious about those ruins you mentioned" said Vaan.

" Its settled. While your group gathers information, we'll prepare ourselves here" said Ashe.

" My people will also fight, if you are willing to accept my aid" said Llyud.

" Some Aegyl help will be appreciated. Dalmasca, Archadia, Clan Gully, House Bowen, Prima Donna, our Sky Pirate friends, and the Aegyl warriors of the former Sky Continent Lemures will hereby make a form an alliance for this campaign" said Ashe.

" I abhor violence, but we have little choice" sighed Larsa.

" I had hoped I'd never have to fight again, but I will gladly lend you my lance" said Llyud.

" So when should we get started?" piped Filo.

" Training will take a month at best, I will assist the watch to keep Dalmasca safe" said Basch.

" Luso, we will leave tomorrow" said Mewt.

" Sure thing, Mr. Randell" said Luso.

* * *

How was it? I know most of the chapters so far are only up to four pages long at best, but this is one out of four different stories that I've been working on. Also, I never dared to use to post my own stories when I was younger before.

Sure this chapter was a bit boring compared to the last two, but I'll try to include more fluff between Luso/Adelle in future chapters. I didn't exactly plan on how many chapters I should use to write this story, but I will probably make it ten or twelve chapters long.

Anyone who wants to read longer stories can read my Final Fantasy IV: The After Years Novelization onceits complete if they want. I still haven't gone through more then eight or nine chapters on that one though.

By the way, I thought Filo and Llyud make a good pair together. If anyone has ideas for what character pairings to use at the end, feel free to let me know. I have ideas of my own, but I am open to suggestions. Just keep it boy/girl okay? Unless they're 'best friend' type endings for same-sex characters of course (no offense).

Also, I think Luso/Adelle and Vaan/Penelo should be fixed pairings. Feel free to disagree if you want though.

Anyway, this author note turned out a bit long, Mike AZ 2 signing out. And please feel free to review. I'll even accept anonymous reviews as long as the review is constructive criticism or something like that. Okay, I'll really be signing out now, good night! Buenos Noche!

And yes I know spanish. Took a year of it at CHS (Chandler High School). And just so that you understand the writing above, it was 9:51 pm when I finished this chapter.


	6. The Ancient Castle Ruins

Okay, I probably shouldn't just say how long this fic is going to be. Again, I have not played Final Fantasy Tactics 1, so I don't know if I have Mewt's character right.

Anyway, here's the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 5: The Ruins at St. Ivalice

At dawn the next morning, Luso and his team stocked up on supplies before leaving Rebanastre. May didn't like violence much, so she purchased some White Mage gear while Mewt bought some Paladin gear. Luso and Adelle upgraded their equipment, and they were off.

Just outside the Rebanastre Southgate, on the Giza Plains, Mewt turned towards the rest of his chosen team members" the portals that appeared in both the 'real' world and Ivalice are a little unstable, so I used the principle behind the portals to create this 'gate key'". He showed Luso a key-shaped object.

Luso asked" How does it work, Mr. Randell?".

" Just call me Mewt, Luso. We're not even at the same school anymore. This gate key is programmed to respond to abnormalities such as the nearest portal, which in theory, should take us to the closest point to the Ruins near St. Ivalice", said Mewt.

" In other words, we could just as easily go between our worlds, right?" inquired May.

" Just observe me, we should leave now. I would not want to get on the queen's bad side if she think we're laggards" said Mewt. With that, Mewt pressed a few buttons on the device, which reacted to a nearby blue portal. The portal opened, and the group went in.

On the other side, Luso, Mewt, May, Adelle, Penelo and Vaan were at the outskirts of the Town of St. Ivalice. Adelle was amazed" so this is your homeworld, Luso?."

" Yeah, my hometown isn't as big as Rebanastre, but it feels good to be back, even for just a short time" said Luso.

" So which way are the ruins that Dorek mentioned?" inquired Penelo.

" Its south of here, but we'd best make camp once were just outside those ruins when we arrive" said Mewt.

" Actually, I read about those ruins when I was a child. It used to be a castle of some kind" said May.

" So you know about it?" asked Adelle.

" No more then we know about that Grimoire" said May.

Hours later, as the group traveled south from St. Ivalice after buying some supplies, they eventually reached an old castle. Vaan remarked" if those are not really ruins, I'd say we were on a wild Chocobo Chase".

" Things aren't always as they seem, Vaan, didn't we see the Ruins of Nabudus during a previous adventure?" said Penelo, exasperated.

" Point taken" sighed Vaan.

" We don't know whats in there, lets rest up for the night" said Mewt.

As the group settled down for the night, Adelle spoke with Luso" so what was he Dorek like?".

" He, myself, and another friend went to the same academy together. We always were up to something together, of course Dorek always had something to prove" said Luso (albiet reluctantly).

" So why did he try to kill us?" asked Adelle.

" I don't know, but unlike myself who was constantly late for class, Dorek constantly tried to be the center of attention. The guy sometimes pressured me into his pranks and often got a D in class. I know that dosen't explain why he became evil, but I never saw him again when he disappeared, until we ran into him at the Shadow Fortress" said Luso.

" Sounds a lot like you dosen't he?" said Adelle.

" Yeah, kinda" replied Luso.

" Hey, its late, we should get some sleep now!" called Mewt.

" Good night" said Luso and Adelle.

The following morning, the group got up, ate a rousing breakfast of eggs and bread (which May packed before entering Ivalice with Mewt after Luso went again), and proceeded towards the Ancient Castle.

Inside, the building's upper levels were blocked up by rubble, which left only the basement open.

" So what should we do?" asked Adelle.

" The library would be the logical choice, but its blocked by rubble, lets go downstairs first" said Mewt.

In the basement, the group came upon a dark surprise waiting for them. A Demon Wall had appeared.

" What the heck is something like that doing in Luso's World!" exclaimed Penelo.

" Philosophy later everyone, its coming toward us" said Vaan.

Penelo casted Slow on the monster, while Luso, Mewt, Vaan and Adelle flung themselves at it.

The Demon Wall shot a laser beam at the group, which they dodged quickly.

" That thing, it doesn't seem normal. I've seen it while playing Final Fantasy IV once as a kid, but this is ridiculous!" sighed May.

" Looks like we got here just in time" said a voice.

Luso turned around to see another young man with dark hair and a young woman with black hair. The brunette gasped" Ryan? Samantha?".

The newcomers acknowledged Luso and rushed in to help fight the Demon Wall.

Mewt glanced at the girll" Samantha? How did you find me?".

" Later, pops" said Samantha as she threw a grenade at the monster. This blasted a central hole in the fiend and it shot a beam at Samantha in agitation.

Ryan deflected it with a katana and thew some shuriken at the Demon Wall.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Vaan, Adelle and Luso got themselves into a special battle stance and launched Lennart and Pyroclasm at the Demon Wall. The fiend was nothing but a lifeless pile of rocks in no time as a result.

Mewt's group turned towards Samantha and Ryan. Mewt frowned" what are you doing here, Samantha?".

" Ryan and I saw you and Luso enter those ruins, which we heard was teeming with dark magic not long after Dorek vanished in here, so we went to help you" said Samantha.

" Sure is good to see you again Luso, who's your girlfriend?" said Ryan.

" Luso and I are just friends" said Adelle, flustered.

" Enough talk, we should move on, and since you're here Samantha, I won't ask you to leave" said Mewt.

The group went further back where they came across a secret passage. Ryan breathed" this ruin's cool isn't it?" " Don't be silly" said Samantha.

" According to what I heard, this passage should take us to the Ancient Castle's library" said Mewt.

The heroes followed the passage, which led to an old library upstairs.

" This is it, lets look around, but stay close everyone" said May.

The team spent a while searching the room, when Luso found an old tattered book next to a dark slot on the shelf" Hey guys, I think I found something."

The others gathered. Mewt took a look at the book Luso found and said" good job. Looks pretty old, though there might be something helpful in there."

" What does is say Luso?" inquired Adelle.

Luso opened the book and flipped the pages to a particular section" looks like it talks about two ancient Grimoires, one of which is the Dark Grimoire, but then it just cuts off."

" Lets go back to Ivalice, I don't see anything else in here regarding the Dark Grimoire" said Mewt.

" Will you let Ryan and I come? We did help you fight that monster earlier" said Samantha.

" She's right, besides, we want to help stop Dorek" said Ryan.

" I honestly don't have much of a choice. Lets get out of here then" said Mewt.

Mewt summoned another portal and they went in. On the way back to Rebenastre, Ryan asked" so how did you find Dorek?".

" I ran into him, but something wasn't right" said Luso.

" Somehow I'm afraid he's beyond help" sighed Mewt.

" Don't say that Pops!" cried Samantha.

" So what else is in that book?" Ryan asked Luso.

" Who know? Not much information about the Dark Grimoire was in there" sighed Luso.

* * *

Another chapter done and another cliffhanger. This story might take a few more chapters then I thought, oh well.

Surprised you with two more Original Characters (OCs) didn't I? Well, I assumed that Luso had more then one friend in his world, judging from the dialogue near the beginning of Grimoire of the Rift. Also, I almost used Cami as an original character name, but changed it to Samantha because 'Cami' is already being used in someone else's fic.

Oh, and I kind of borrowed the concept of 'portals' and the 'gate key' from Chrono Trigger.

Like always, please feel free to review.


	7. Intermission and Preparation

Mike AZ 2 here, I appreciate the information given by Nicknasby about Mewt from FFTA1. Judging from that bit of information about Mewt from FFTA1, and his cameo appearance as the school Librarian at the end of Grimoire of the Rift, I probably had him a tad OOC (out of character), oh well.

Also, as a reminder, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Grimoire of the Rift were created by Squaresoft. I only own the OCs, May doesn't count as an OC since she is reffered to as Luso's aunt in Grimoire of the Rift.

Also, my first disclaimer was way back in the prologue, so you probably know what I said about me not having anything to do with the makingof Grimoire of the Rift. No offense to you readers.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. This one may be a bit slow compared to the last one, but please bear with me.

* * *

Chapter 6: Intermission and Preparation

Luso's group, along with two more new recruits, returned to the Royal Palace of Rebanastre to discuss with Ashe and the others about what they have found so far at the ruins.

When they reached the palace, Basch met with the group and addressed Mewt" Welcome back, have you found anything at the ruins?".

" Very little unfortunately, aside from an old tattered Tome. Whats been happening while we were searching?" asked Mewt.

The Judge Majister shrugged" The defense team assembled at the West Gate suffered minor casualties in skirmishes with Rozarria. Also, the queen found half of that particular tome that you just mentioned, and she has asked you to meet in the Audience Chamber again".

" We're ready to report" said Luso.

The group went into the throne room, where Ashe was waiting with Cid. The queen spoke first" Any luck?".

" Yes your highness, though I noticed that the book was missing a chunk where it first mentions the Dark Grimoire" said Luso.

" Incidentally, in the past twenty four hours you were gone, I too found a tattered book in the palace archives. In order to make sense of it, I need both halves, will you please hand over your half of the book?" inquired Ashe.

Luso respectfully handed the tattered tome to the queen. Upon inspecting both halves of the tome, she thought with a perplexed look: _Why would a Magick-related tome be split in betweeen worlds?_.

" What does it it say?" asked Vaan.

" This tome's secrets are mystifying, it says that the Dark Grimoire contains powerful magick, which supposedly renders its wielder impervious to harm" said Ashe.

" No Wonder Dorek defeated us so easily! Any way to counter it?" asked Adelle.

" This tome also speaks of a ancient, powerful magick which can pierce the dark shield that the Dark Grimoire generates, the tome of that particular magick is also hidden" said Ashe.

" Where would that 'magick' be?" asked Luso, hopefully.

" Unfortunately, according to this information, the two Sacred Gems required to create the tome which can oppose the Dark Grimoire is located in ruins on Loar and Ordalia" said Ashe.

" Apparently the Occuria didn't want powerful magick to be so easily obtained, so now what?" asked Penelo.

" I will keep the tome with me. Preparations for the upcoming battle with Rozarria are underway, Vaan, I want you all to make any necessary preparations for the rest of this month" said Ashe.

" Not to be rude, but is there anything else do be done?" said Mewt.

" Like I said, the rest of this month will have us all occupied with preparations. I'd recommend that you ready yourselves if possible, though I also think some of you should rest, I shall arrange another conference when the time comes" replied the queen.

Outside the throne room after the royal audience, Mewt turned towards his teammates" The next few weeks will be very busy, even though we're taking a break".

" I'm getting a little tired myself actually" said Adelle.

" Feel free to rest up everyone, I will go tell Cid how the search at the ruins went" said Mewt.

That night, Luso and Adelle were resting in one of the spare quarters, the rest of the heroes were either assigned to the inn or other spare rooms in the palace.

Adelle sighed" This has been quite an adventure so far, I never expected that we'd be working together again".

" Yeah, I was surprised to learn myself that an old tome we found was actually lying in parts in both worlds".

" Must be a reason, I wonder if we'll find out after Rozarria is defeated and Dorek has been stopped" said Adelle.

" Maybe, but who know?" sighed Luso.

" Well, good night Luso" said Adelle.

" Good night Adelle" responded the brunette.

The next few weeks following that night bustled with activity. Luso and the rest of Clan Gully trained in the Dalmasca Estersand or the Giza Plains with the other teams, at set intervals of course.

At times when they took a break from training, Luso spent time with Adelle and his Aunt May. Mewt was occupied with helping his daughter Samantha and Luso's second oldest friend Ryan prepare for future events.

On the last week during the preparations, Luso and Adelle underwent special training sessions with each other and with Mewt, May, Frimelda, Vaan, Samantha and Ryan. One afternoon after training, Luso and Adelle went with May to have lunch and spend a little time at the Sandsea.

Eventually, Ashe summoned her allies to the conference room.

The queen addressed them" I am pleased with preparations so far, but we must march in a couple more days for Rozarria, it will be a tough campaign".

" What are the odds?" asked Cid.

" Outright victory is highly unlikely, although there might be factions besides Archadia, Clan Gully, House Bowen, and Prima Donna who are opposed to Rozarria's sudden aggression" said Al-Cid.

" Al-Cid, I know your presence may complicate things, but are you prepared for this?" inquired Larsa.

" Not the ideal situation for me, but I suppose it cannot be avoided" sighed the Rozarrian prince.

" I'm sorry that you and Clan Gully had to get involved, but I am grateful for your help" said Ashe.

" So how will our units be organized?" asked Penelo.

" our army consists of Archadia, Dalmasca, Jylland's Clan Gully, House Bowen and Prima Donna, and the Aegyl and Sky Pirate volunteers" said Basch.

" I myself will command Dalmasca's army and Jylland's remnants will be commanded by Al-Cid" said Ashe.

" Lord Larsa and myself will lead Archadia's forces, with aid from Judge Zargabaath" said Basch.

" No offense, but is it really okay for a queen and a emperor to put themselves in danger like that?" spoke Luso.

" Mind your attitude, Luso, you're being rude" said Penelo with a sigh.

" Its all right, Penelo, we're not offended. It is clear that diplomacy might not work, though I hope that we do not need to eliminate all of Rozarria's nobles" said Larsa.

" What of your airship Llyud?" inquired Ashe.

" I have been looking after it, as its current captain. Filo eventually found me after a year apart, so we were traveling together. Also, I still call my people's airship the Galbana, since Vaan named it in the first place" said Llyud.

" Great, the Liviathan and the Galbana, along with other major ships Dalmascan and Archadian ships, will serve as moblile quarters, since it would be unfair to the ground forces should they get bombarded by Rozarria's air force" said Ashe.

" How many units can each major battleship hold?" inquired Vaan.

" The Galbana, the Alexander and the Liviathan alone can contain up to a combined total of twelve hundred men, I believe" said Ashe.

" Its settled then, Fran and I will stick to the Strahl, though" said Baltheir.

" Very well, and since even our airships cannot hold everyone, the Strahl and the Galbana should also be used to ferry troops to strategic locations" said Ashe.

" All right then, not that I mind" said Baltheir.

" What of Clan Gully?" asked Adelle.

" Clan Gully should be assigned to the Galbana, along with Vaan, Penelo, Llyud, Kytes and Filo's teams, along with Al-Cid" said Basch.

" The Aegyl do not need an airship to fly anyway, so I cannot object" spoke Llyud.

" Its settled then, we leave the day after tomorrow, we will then plan our strategy to invade Rozarria from Loar's eastern shore after clearing out any Rozarrian soldiers that may be looking out for us there" said Ashe.

" Emperor Rozarria and Clan Khamja's remnants will pay for their treacherous attacks" noddedBremah.

With that, the teams set out to make final preparations for the upcoming war.

* * *

How's that? Another chapter finished with another cliffhanger, but I thought to end this right now since its gotten late. Brenoes Noche! (Good Night!)

I know it wasn't that long and a bit lacking in action, but I figured that it would be too much to have this fic be comprised entirely of action chapters.

Like always, please feel free to review.


	8. The Battle of Loar

Hello again. I realize that I have not practiced my Spanish much. I still know how to say some words or phrases, but I guess I'm kind of out of whack at spelling spanish words.

At any rate, this is the next chapter. In future chapters and fics, I may start using the Insert Horizontal Ruler function to indicate change in character point of view, aside from my author notes.

* * *

Chapter 7: The Battle of Loar

The next couple days passed quickly as the heroes of Archadia, Dalmasca and Jylland prepared to save Rozarria and put an end to Dorek's ambition. The assigned team members boarded their respective ships.

Basch contacted Judge Zargabaath, who ackknowledged the younger Judge Magister's request for additional aid.

Vaan, Penelo, Luso, Adelle and the rest of Clan Gully, along with Frimelda, Mewt, Samantha and Ryan, boarded the Galbana, where they recievedlong-distance communicators to help keep in touch with the rest of the Allied Fleet.

At the last moment, Clan Centurio'smembers eventually decided to join, along with Hurdy.

As the assembled army prepared to set out for Jylland, Queen Ashellia of Dalmasca and Emperor Larsa of Archadia gave a speech to their comrades.

" This will be the toughest campaign for even Archadia, as its military numbers are not exactly at full strength, but we shall not falter, we are of equal strength with Rozarria" spoke Larsa.

Ashe continued from where Larsa paused" You, my friends, did see me to this day, let us be brave and true to our convictions. I do not wish for bloodshed, but if our enemy threatens us, Dalmasca shall give answer and we will not rest until Jylland has been liberated and Rozarriahas been put down. Now let us win our future and save Ivalice!" she finished.

During the resulting cheer from the soldiers, Vaanspoke briefly with Luso" first time you were involved in a campaign, Luso?".

" A little, but if I could help defeat Khamja, how can I not help our allies?" replied Luso.

" Enough talk, we should board the Galbana" said Mewt.

" Lets go then" said Penelo.

With that, the heroes and their army boarded their airships and set out for the continent of Loar.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Rozarria's imperial palace, Dorekspoke with Emperor Margrace" my group discovered that Dalmasca and Archadia marshaled an army against us".

"hm, very well, stregthen our defenses at Ordalia, oh and by the way, that was a grave mistake letting Clan Gully go I imagine" replied the older man.

" Ha ha! Its laughable if the Emperor of Archadia thinks he can defeat us, and what of your own son?" asked a nearby woman.

" Al-Cid... Things might be a little more complicated then I would think" said Emperor Margrace.

" I can still take care of them, but I'm not so interested in weaklings now" said Dorek.

" Never mind, I just hope I do not lose" sighed Emperor Margrace.

* * *

On the outskirts of Jylland, the liberation army prepared to attack Loar. Judge Zargabaath addressed Larsa's group" For this battle, I would recommend that Clan Gully and Vaan's sky pirate team sabotage the enemy on the eastern shore. Radar indicates the location of Fort Jaya, but it should not be hard to liberate".

" Very well then" said Larsa as he contacted the Galbana.

On board the Galbana after the message, Cid prepped his group" this will be our first major campaign in my own clan's homeland. Don't any of you die on me".

" We'll do our best, Dorekshould not have his way with me this time" smiled Luso.

With that, Cid and Vaan's group deployed onto the battlefield.

Back on the Liviathan, Ashe and Larsa instructed Baltheir, Fran, and the members of House Bowen and Prima Donna to liberate Targe Village and the town of Camoa. "Is there anything else we should be aware of?" inquired Mayhew.

" Not exactly, but hopefully the rest of us will see you shortly" said Ashe.

Near Fort Jaya, Vaan and Luso's teams were in for a even struggle. Clan Gully's members fought their hardest against the Rozarrian Soldiers defending the target.

At some point, Vaan, Luso, Penelo and Adelle managed to corner and confront the battalion leader guarding the fortress. With only a blast from Adelle's Lennart Beam and Vaan's Pyroclasm, the enemy commander was toast.

Cid contacted Ashe" the fort has been liberated".

" Great, lets meet with the others at the outskirts of Camoa, assuming that their part has gone well" said Ashe.

A few hours later, at the Camoa Outskirts, the liberation army set up camp while some of the heroes discussed their strategy.

" Is it just me or was that battle too easy?" inquired Luso.

" The battalions we just fought were among the weakest divisions in Rozarria's imperial army, I have no doubt that they have stronger forces in Ordalia and the Rozarrian Capital itself" replied Al-Cid.

" What kind of man was your father, Al-Cid?" spoke Ashe.

Witha bit of hesitation, Al-Cid spoke" my father never did see eye to eye with the late Emperor Gramis Solidor. Though I revered him somewhat, I doubt he would have willingly started this conflict".

" So how will we save Loar and move on to Ordalia then?" piped Adelle.

" Loar's key defenses are weakened somewhat, I have a hunch that Moorabella is the only point of interest left for Rozarria" said Baltheir.

" Then we should head for Moorabella, not to mention rescue Sage Lezaford and Sir Rodrick" said Frimelda.

" Our army is big enough so we can fight on two fronts if necessary" spoke Basch.

" We might suffer a few casualties, but I suppose it might be the quickest way to wrest Loar from Rozarria" said Larsa.

" One team will head for the Aldanna Range, while the main force will hit Moorabella" said Cid.

" I will be on the rescue team" said Adelle.

" All right. Luso, Frimelda, Hurdy, Ryan, Samantha and I will go with you" said Cid.

" Our plan for restoring order in Loar is set then" said Larsa.

At dawn, Cid's group left for the Aldanna Range while the main force went to liberate Moorabella.

The group were just about to Lezaford's hut when Adelle spotted something" Looks like a battle is underway".

" Must be our target, lets move!" shouted Cid.

At Lezaford's hut, the Paladin Rodrick, the Bangaa warrior Morricad, the Red Mage Questa and Sage Lezaford were holding their own against Rozarria's 8th battalion.

Questa was concerned for Rodrick" Are you sure you're okay? Your injuries are not yet fully healed".

" Doesn't really matter, I can't let Cid down, I will die if I must" said Rodrick.

" Nay, look!" said Lezaford.

" Your backup is here, Rodrick!" called Luso.

" About time" said Morricad.

The Rozarrian 8thbattalion was now involved in a pincer strike, with them being on the defensive. Eventually the enemy group was routed.

" Thanks, Cid" gasped Rodrick.

" I don't require thanks, and I don't exactly get paid to keep my clan out of trouble" said Cid.

" Sage Lezaford, you all right?" asked Luso.

" Luso, I'm glad to see you again, by the look of things, this isn't a social call" said the old wizard.

Luso and the others explained to Lezaford what was happening in Jylland and Rozarria.

The old mage sighed" Sounds like more of Khamja's work".

" I agree, what other clan would use parlor tricks on Ivalice?" said Morricad.

" We learned about the Dark Grimoire, an ex-friend of mine is using it" said Luso.

" Ah, then you need the magick of Star Flare" said Lezaford.

" We know that we need some kind of sacred Tome to counter the Dark Grimoire, but the materials are supposedly hidden" said Samantha.

" Interesting. Very well, I shall accompany you" said Lezaford.

" No offense, but didn't you wish to conceal your existance?" inquired Adelle.

" The time for hiding is past, I shall once again reveal myself to the rest of Ivalice. These old bones aren't useless yet" replied Lezaford.

" The others are liberating Moorabella, we should met up with them" said Cid.

" All right, lets go" said Lezaford.

As Cid's group, now accompanied by Lezaford, Rodrick, Morricad and Questa, approached Moorabella, the battle was almost over. Mewt, who was standing back from the fight to recuperate, acknowledged Luso" How did it go?".

" Pretty well, Rozarria has nothing on Clan Gully or Sage Lezaford's magick" replied Luso.

" Moorabella's occupation forces hit Archadia's infantry hard. But otherwise, we pretty much won" said Mewt.

" You getting old or something pops?" asked Samantha.

" Not quite, well, we should go to Moorabella, Queen Ashe and Emperor Larsa have most likely finished freeing the city and we should get there" replied Mewt.

The group proceeded to Moorabella to report to Ashe. The queen was pleased to see that the team she sent to help Lezaford was safe" Loar has been liberated, but we are now resting for the next battlefield, which is Ordalia".

" You must be Dalmasca's Queen Ashellia, I believe" spoke Lezaford.

" I am honored to meet you sir. But now we should rest and discuss further plans tomorrow, everyone" said Ashe.

The group set up camp for the night. Loar was spared from Rozarria's invasion. But the heroes knew that their enemy will not give in without a fight, and Luso had yet to put a stop to Dorek's monstrous plan.

* * *

How was it? I hope it wasn't too violent. And about my estimation to how long this fic will be, I don't truly know myself.

Al-Cid's father was never mentioned or talked about in any of the Final Fantasy XII related games. if anyone thinks I'm making him sound too weak-willed, please let me know if you want through PM or by Review.

Please feel free to review if you'd like to.


	9. Sol Sphere

This is Mike AZ 2

Another day and another chapter. Like I've said before, all Final Fantasy characters, games, locations, etc. were created and copyrighted by Squaresoft.

You might know the drill by now, but just in case, spoken word is ", ' is for thoughts and the Horizontal Ruler indicates change in point of view, aside from author notes.

Warning: A reference to Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is made here in this chapter, a small spoiler for those who haven't beaten the final chapter of Revenant Wings.

* * *

Chapter 8: The Sol Sphere

In Rozarria's Imperial Palace, Dorek was in thought ' _I have underestimated Luso, but I suppose that I should know him better then that_.'

An imperial assassin approached the other man" We lost half of Jylland to Dalmasca and Archadia."

" What of it? Surely your king and his army can do better" replied Dorek.

" His majesty grew impatient when I told him the news. The 8th battalion and the soldiers guarding Fort Jaya and Moorabella were annihilated. The Emperor is not happy about losing his countrymen" said the assassin.

" The void between Ivalice and my world is slowly growing, Grange. Even if Luso gets here he can't win easily. I'll take care of him whether or not he retrieves that so-called Starflare Tome" said the younger man.

Grange shrugged" If I can get our emperor's permission, I might take some men to stop that army."

" I heard that, go ahead if you want to get yourself killed. Guard the ruins" interjected the emperor, as he entered the room.

" I live to serve" said Grange.

" Very well, take this Nethicite with you" said Emperor Rozarria.

" Yes, sire" said Grange.

* * *

At the liberation army camp, Vaan, Penelo, Ashe, Larsa, Luso, Adelle, Sage Lezaford and Cid were discussing what their next objective should be not long after the sunrise.

Vaan spoke" Okay, now that Loar has been liberated, we should find some ruins right?".

" This could be like finding a needle in a haystack, we probably explored all of the ruins on this continent" said Adelle.

" There is much we do not know. Ashellia, Allow me to see that book for a moment" said Lezaford.

Ashe handed over the repaired tome that she and Luso separately recovered, then asked " I could not understand what was said about some ruins in Jylland, I heard that this country has several ruins, can you help us?."

" Hm, what we must find now are the Sol Sphere Magicite and the Luna Sphere Magicite, each one is hidden in a different location" said the wizard.

" So what should we do first?" piped Penelo.

" To the southeast of the Targ Woods lies the Sun Shrine, and in the eastern region of Ordalia is the Mirror Castle. Targ is closer, but its up to you on how to proceed" said Lezaford.

" Interesting, I've been to Targ a few times but never heard of any ruins there" said Cid.

" The ruins have been protected by powerful magick. No one ever dared to go near them, it is a perilous quest for those who go near them" said Lezaford.

" Sounds like more of the Occuria's work" remarked Vaan.

" I will accompany you to both ruins, Luso. Vaan, Penelo, we'll use the Galbana, its the quickest and least conspicuous way to those ruins" said Ashe.

" Will you be safe?" inquired Larsa.

" It won't be just the four of us. I will also allow Adelle, Basch, Filo and Llyud tocome with me" replied Ashe.

" Then the rest of us will remain to keep an eye out for any Rozarrian forces that may counterattack" said Larsa.

" Its settled then, just try to make it back in one piece" said Cid.

The following day, Ashe and her newly-formed group boarded the Galbana to search for the two relics.

" This was your airship, Vaan?" asked Luso as he looked around.

" I used it for a while, though it turned out that I was flying on borrowed wings. I gave it back to the Aegyl after their deranged leader, Feolthanos, was defeated" replied the young sky pirate.

" It was not long after that we eventually got a new airship of our own" said Penelo.

" Focus everyone, we're about to take off" said Ashe.

A few hours later, the Galbana landed near a small tower not far from the Targ region of Loar.

" So now what?" asked Filo.

" These ruins might be dangerous, we'd best be on our guard" intoned Llyud.

" Lets get a move on as soon as we're ready" spoke Basch.

As the group approached the entrance to the tower, the tome began to resonate.

" Where did that glow come from?" asked Filo.

" The Tome is actually a Grimoire, maybe it will undo the seal on this place" said Ashe.

The queen held up the grimoire, and a golden light beamed out of it and opened the gate.

' _Who would've thought that our grimoire was the key' _thought Vaan.

" That place gives me the creeps" shuddered Filo.

" We'll need to stay close to each other" said Ashe.

The trek through the tower was far from eventless. The shrine consisted of three floors, and the heroes had to overcome a trap here and there.

" Who built this place anyway?" sighed Adelle.

" This place has defense magick in some areas, I would not be surprised if it was the work of the Occuria" said Basch.

" Hey! I see a dead end up ahead!" cried Filo.

Vaan walked to the dead end that was actually a symbol puzzle. After taking a glance, he said" Looks like it won't be easy. According to some faded text on the wall, we have to match the symbols on the nearby tile to the east."

" I like puzzles, I can solve it if I try" said Luso.

" We don't know what might happen, I'll do it" replied Vaan.

" Are you sure?" asked Penelo with a concerned look on her face.

" Trust me" said Vaan as he stepped on the raised platform east of the dead end.

With a bit of difficulty, Vaan solved the Symbol challenge and the wall with the inscription opened to reveal some stairs. Penelo was amazed" That was brilliant, Vaan!" " No problem" smiled Vaan.

After climbing another set of stairs to the room with an altar, they found that someone else beat them there.

" Who's there?" asked Penelo.

" Hm, so you're the ones Dorek mentioned, the ones who defeated the 8th battalion" said the figure in the shadows.

" Enough of this, how did you get here and who are you!" demanded Ashe.

" Archadia is not the only country that has Nethicite such as this. My name is Grange, one of Rozarria's generals" replied the man.

" Get out of our way, I won't let Dorek win!" shouted Luso.

" Temper, temper. Lets see how you do against my men" sneered Grange.

With that, five Rozarrian fighters and three Rozarrian paladins attacked.

Adelle quickly used her Heritor powers to fire a Lennart Beam, vaporizing the Rozarrian fighters.

Filo, Llyud, Vaan and Lusodealt with the Paladins, who could not easily reach Filo on her Skybrandt or Llyud who fought from the air.

" You're next, Grange" said Vaan.

" Ha! This Nethicite will render you powerless" said the Rozarrian assassin who used the magick stone to transform into a Meta Paladin.

" Vaan, Filo, Llyud, Luso, you should be able to overpower Grange, I will grab the Sol Sphere" said Ashe.

Meta-Grange was a formidable adversary, but Llyud and Filo kept the enemy off balance while Vaan and Luso tried to block him. Grange snarled" Some hero you are, Sky Pirate, now prepare to die!".

" Want to bet? LENNART!" shouted Adelle who launched a magick beam which knocked Grange back.

The assasin countered by throwing his sword at Adelle, who dodged quickly so that it barely nicked her thigh.

Grange then tried to retrieve his weapon when Ashe spoke" You lost" and held up a powerful magick sphere. The sphere emitted a burning flame which engulfed the Rozarrian Assassin.

Grange sighed" So this is it, I have failed."

" Don't mess with Dalmasca" said Vaan.

The Assassin's body returned to normal, and the man's seared body collapsed, dead.

" Well, we got the sphere, but why do so many people have to die to thwart a madman?" inquired Luso.

" I do not like it any more then you, but I could not think of a way to capture that man alive now that he used Nethicite to empower himself" said Ashe.

" War is a tragic thing, I pray he rest in peace" spoke Basch.

The group buried Grange's body near the shrine and returned to the Galbana with the Sol Sphere in hand.

" So I guess the Luna Sphere is next" said Luso.

" I can see the look on our opponent's stupid face" quipped Filo.

" They'll be twice as dangerous then, lets head back to camp for now" said Llyud.

" Agreed, we have to do something about Ordalia before we can continue to find the Luna Sphere" said Ashe.

* * *

At the campsite, May was glancing towards the horizon. Mewt approached her" Are you worried?".

" Yes, as Luso's Foster Parent I oftentimes worry about him" said the woman.

" I cannot blame you. Samantha isn't my real child, she was adopted" said Mewt.

" Really?" inquired May.

" Yeah, I'm not interfering, but Luso's turning out to be a fine young man I believe" said Mewt.

" Even so, its kind of hard to let him stand on his own two feet" sighed May.

" That's up to you, but you should know that he can make his own choices eventually if not now" said Mewt.

" I can see that he's had to grow up fast sometimes, but I still worry, though I have tried to guide him" said May.

" You are a strong woman, May" said Mewt.

* * *

On the Galbana, Ashe spoke with her group" We will need to rest tonight, the better part of tomorrow may be spent preparing to liberate Ordalia."

" I wonder whats in store for us next" spoke Filo.

" Eventually we will end Rozarria's invasion and send that madman Dorek packing" said Vaan.

" The campsite is up ahead, we're landing" said Llyud.

The group reunited with the main force and began to get ready to rest.

" So what will you do when we've saved Ivalice, Luso?" inquired Adelle.

" I might go back to my world, I don't belong here" said Luso.

" I see, well either we save Ivalice or that Dark Grimoire will dig us an early grave" sighed Adelle.

" Don't even joke about that! We will win!" said Luso.

" You're right, I just wonder. I mean Dorek is even stronger then that witch, Ilua."

" Trust me, we will save both of our worlds" said Luso.

Adelle smiled and said" good night" and went to her tent. Luso went to sleep in his.

* * *

That was the longest chapter I've written yet, but I'm not complaining, I hope you enjoyed it. I admit that most of the chapters are kind of short, but I think they're still enjoyable.

By the way, Sol is the Spanish word for Sun and Luna means Moon, in case you're wondering.

I personally like the pairings I have so far. I just don't know how I can have Luso and Adelle be with each other at the end of this story since they're from different worlds.

As always, please feel free to review.


	10. The Battle of Ordalia

Mike AZ 2 here, sorry if some chapters were too violent, but action fics tend to have a lot happening as far as I know.

Also, I have no good excuse for my lack of updating. And just as a reminder, all Final Fantasy games, characters, locations etc. were created and copyrighted by Squaresoft.

Anyway, here's the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Battle of Ordalia

The heroes woke up the day following their recent victory at the shrine and soon congregated at the command tent to discuss their move.

" We managed to acquire the Sol Sphere, but since when did Rozarria use nethecite?" spoke Vaan.

Larsa shrugged" I knew little about Rozarria's mines and other such industries. Though it wouldn't surprise me if we're in for some larger challenges in Ordalia."

Penelo piped up" if the forces occupying Loar were this easy, what are we in for at Ordalia?".

" I am familiar with my country's forces to some degree, though there could be factions in Ordalia that might be opposed to my father's recent decline in sanity" said Al-Cid.

" Come to think of it, how come Dorek never tried to confront us directly now that we know how to counter the Dark Grimoire?" inquired Adelle.

" He probably has his reasons, but I am more concerned about how he is acting lately" replied Luso.

" If there is nothing else to discuss, we should talk about our strategy" said Ashe.

" Not really, so what do we need to do now?" inquired Cid.

Al-Cid spoke" I scouted ahead to Ordalia to find out about what we should expect from our opposition while some of us were hunting down that Sun Sphere. Rozarria's 5th aero brigade is patrolling the skies of Ordalia, while its 3rd and 9th battalions are occupying Ordalia itself."

" Is there any resistance besides us facing the Rozarrian Imperials?" Ashe inquired.

" There might be, but we don't know" replied Al-Cid.

" It may be too dangerous for our ground forces alone, we'll have to send in a part of Archadia's air fleet" said Larsa.

Basch shrugged" I agree, and I recommend that our forces on the Alexander and the Galbana lead the assault on the enemy airships. When the coast is clear, we'll land on Ordalia some to try and exploit any factions opposed to Emperor Rozarria and invite them to our army."

" A well conceived plan, but I heard that one of Rozarria's strongest airship, the Tritoch, is heading that air squadron" said Al-Cid.

" Is it that dangerous?" asked Vaan.

Al-Cid replied" It may be intimidating, but large ships tend to have flaws in the design that can be exploited. But the commander of that air squad is cunning, we may have to be cautious."

Ashe piped up " all right then, we will need to embark at dawn, every moment counts if we are to drive Rozarria out of Jylland entirely."

The group then filed from the tent to make preparations for their next mission.

* * *

At Ordalia, near the good Witch of the Fens' hut, a small force of Rozarrians were grouped there with the witch herself. Leading them was a woman with brown hair and a regal outfit.

The ornately dressed woman spoke with the witch" I again want to apologize for interrupting your peace like this, Lady Brenda."

" You need not apologize, Empress Priscilla. I do not like what your country's main forces are doing any more then you" responded the viera witch.

" What of Al-Cid? Should we not at least ask him to join us? I did give him crucial information after all" interjected a younger woman.

" I'm sure your brother is fine, Blair, but I cannot deny that I am worried myself" said Priscilla.

Brenda piped" Well anyway, we should get some sleep. If you do not mind Priscilla, you should observe the upcoming battle tomorrow and inform the liberation force about our situation if they win."

" No problem, my private airship should be inconspicuous yet not too suspicious so that the liberation army won't attack me by accident" said the princess.

Priscilla shrugged" It may be dangerous, but I can trust our loyalists to help restore sanity and peace to Rozarria."

* * *

At dawn the next day after a rousing breakfast and a quick briefing about their mission, Cid, Al-Cid, Basch and the rest of their assigned group went onboard their airships which were backed up by Dalmascan and Archadian battleships.

On the Alexander, Larsa and Baschmet up with Judge Zargabaath. Samantha, Ryan, Mewt, Llyud and Filo, along with several Aegyl warriors, boarded the Galbana.

Not far from them, an unmarked airship was preparing to take off. Princess Priscilla, two Rozarrian officers and another Rozarrian Prince were on board. The prince spoke with Priscilla" I know the airship is inconspicuous, but will you be all right Blair?".

" Of course Xander, the Empress and I will not stand by and let our brother battle alone" replied the princess.

" If you say so" sighed Xander.

At the battlefield above the Fens, the Alexander and the Galbana spearheaded the battle squad preparing to attack the Tritoch.

Larsa first attempted to negotiate with the commander of the Tritoch via an open communication channel" I would surrender if I were you, the elite pilots of the Dalmascan and Archadian air forces have you covered."

The enemy commander sneered" I will not give in that easily." The enemy commander then ordered his squad to attack the Alexander and the Galbana.

Larsa sighed" If that is how you feel."

The young emperor addressed Judge Zargabaath" have some of our forces protect the Galbana and the Alexander. But we should try to help fight off the Rozarrian fleet ourselves, I will not let myself be a coward."

Zargabaath shrugged" As you wish."

Both fleets launched their air forces. Rozarria and the Dalmascan/Archadian fleet were equally matched however.

On board the unmarked airship, Blair addressed her allies" I can't bring myself to just watch, does this ship have weapons General Biggs?".

Biggs shrugged" Its smaller laser canons can take on small vessels, but it also has a tri-beam canon to combat larger battleships, but we should not fight for long since this is a small ship."

" All right then, attack that rogue Dreadnought" commanded the princess.

On board the Alexander, one of Judge Zargabaath's soldiers addressed Larsa" Radar detected a unknown airship charging the Tritoch, should we intervene?".

" Who is commanding that Vessel? Is it one of ours?" inquired Basch.

" Hold on, I just spotted Rozarrian colours on it" said another Archadian officer.

" What? I will contact Al-Cid" said Larsa.

On the Galbana, Al-Cid received a transmission from the young Archadian emperor" Whats happening?" he inquired.

" That is what I want to know myself. But a small ship flying Rozarrian colours is on the move against the Rozarrian Dreadnought" said Larsa.

" I see, allied or no, I will do what I can" said Al-Cid.

Larsa acknowledged his ally" Please do your best to ensure that the unknown ship survives" and he ended the transmission.

Vaanspoke with Al-Cid" So what was that about?".

" I fear the worst for the passengers of that unknown ship. I will have our escorts protect us while we engage that enemy dreadnought" said Al-Cid.

" All right, we'll drag the enemy commander down" said Vaan.

The Galbana raced towards the unknown ship to protect it. When the Galbana was close enough, Luso, Adelle, Vaan, Penelo, Samantha, Filo and Llyud carefully went onto one of their airship' wings, accompanied by several aegyl warriors.

Seeing this, the enemy commander launched some paratroopers on them.

Undaunted, Vaan's group defeated the paratroopers and faced the Tritoch.

Adelle smirked" That old piece of junk is nothing but a scrap of metal, our special powers should scratch its paint job, right?".

" All right, but we should focus our powers into smaller bursts so that we don't destroy the unknown vessel by mistake" said Llyud.

Undaunted by the firepower raging around them, Vaan, Luso and Adelle cast their strongest spells/quickenings " Pyroclasm!" "Lennart!" "Flare!".

The blasts of energy blew a hole in the Tritoch, exposing its circuits.

Seeing this, Blair thought '_Ivalice's eastern forces must have been gaining a special power to do that much damage_'.

On the enemy dreadnought, the enemy commander shouted orders to his men" Raise the Shield! I don't want anything to get through!".

The other Rozarriancommanderon the unknown ship spoke with Blair" We have an opportunity, we must finish off the Tritoch!".

" The commander won't surrender" piped Xander.

Blair shrugged" Okay then, Destroy the Dreadnought Tritoch!".

Penelo gasped at the weapon coming from the unknown ship" What is that?".

" Rozarrian technology is equal to Archadia's, I'm withdrawing the Galbana so come back to the bridge" commanded Al-Cid.

The weapon from the unknown airship fired a gigantic energy beam at the exposed circuits of the Tritoch, causing a chain reaction from the dreadnought.

The enemy commander groaned" My emperor! I Failed!".

Some of the Tritoch's officers escaped before the large airship exploded into nothing.

On the Alexander, one of the Archadian soldiersspoke with his superiors" Lord Larsa! Judge Zargabaath! Judge Gabranth! The Dreadnought Tritoch has been destroyed."

" Acknowledged. Don't bother pursuing the fleeing soldiers" said Basch.

On the unknown airship, Xander breathed" It looks like we won, I just hope that the queen mother will overlook your reckless antics Blair."

" Never mind that, I will briefly establish a communication channel with our allies" said Blair.

On the Galbana, Penelospoke with Al-Cid" The unknown ship is trying to contact us, should we respond?".

" Go ahead" said Al-Cid.

" Al-Cid, you're safe! Who is commanding this army aside from you?" inquired Blair.

" The liberation forces consist of Archadia, Dalmasca and Jylland and Lemures' remnants. Emperor Larsa Solidor and Queen Ashellia Dalmasca are in charge" replied Al-Cid.

" I see, well, there is something we have to discuss. The empress is waiting at the Fens" said Blair.

" Is Rozarria divided into factions then?" inquired Al-Cid.

" There are those who are not willing participants in the war with the rest of Ivalice, Empress Priscilla is the leader of a group of Rozarrian Rebels who are trying to restore peace" said Blair.

" We'll let Lord Larsa and Queen Ashelia know" said Al-Cid.

An hour later, the liberation forces met up with the Rozarrian Empress' group. The empress acknowledged the leaders of the liberation army" Queen Ashelia and Emperor Larsa Solidor I presume?".

" Yes, are you part of a group that's opposing Rozarria's threat?" asked Ashe.

Priscilla replied" Yes, I suppose you could say that. I am Empress Priscilla Margrace."

" So whats happened in Rozarria lately?" inquired Larsa.

" My husband, Emperor Luther Margrace, is not himself, a mysterious figure wielding a powerful tome has twisted the minds of most of Rozarria's military" said Priscilla.

Al-Cid spoke" Clan Gully's members have the information regarding that."

" Clan Gully has always been reliable despite their lack of notoriety, let us hear what their leader has to say" said Priscilla.

Cid spoke up" one of my members, Luso, could tell you more" he indicated towards said brunette to explain.

Lusohesitated, then proceeded to explain what was happening in both his world and Ivalice" An old and former friend of mine is currently using the Dark Grimoire to open a large rift in Ivalice."

" I suspected this 'Dorek' individual, but I had no proof" said Blair.

" The Rozarrian 9th battalion is marching toward us!" shouted a nearby sentinel.

" What? Sorry but we have an emergency" said Priscilla.

" We'll help stop them" said Cid.

Soon, Clan Gully and the Rozarrian Rebels confronted the 9th battalion. Leading the group was one of the enemy officers who escaped the Tritoch's destruction" You'll pay for destroying the Dreadnought."

" You're in for a big disappointment" said Luso.

The fight was brief, but fierce. Eventually the enemy group was defeated.

" You've a lot of nerve to think you can defeat Clan Gully" remarked Cid.

With his dying breath, the Rozarrian officer spoke" You may have bested the 9th battalion, but the 3rd battalion has the path to the Mirror Castle guarded, the Dark Knight Dorek has predicted your next move."

" Not if we have anything to say about it" quiped Luso.

" Lets get back to camp for now and discuss what to do next" said Priscilla.

At the camp, the groups discussed their current situation.

" I have a plan, but we should rest tonight first since this has been a long day" said Ashe.

Samantha sighed" Man, why did Dorek have to go berserk on us?".

" We may find out eventually, but we should try to get some rest right now" said Mewt.

" I agree" said Ryan.

The heroes and their new allies set up camp for the night.

* * *

That has to be my longest chapter in this action-pack fic yet, but again I'm not complaining.

I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter. Maybe I'll include another intermission chapter somewhere in the story, but I'll have to see.

I know the Witch of the Fens didn't exactly have a name in Grimoire of the Rift, but for the sake of this fic I included one.

Mike AZ 2 signing out. Oh, and please feel free to review if you'd like.


	11. Reflections and the Luna Sphere

Hello again. I may not be one of the best authors/website members who posted stories onto this website. But the reviews I recieved are appreciated.

Here's the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 10: Reflections and the Luna Sphere

The liberation army spent the next couple days after their last battle restocking their supplies and training,

In the command tent, some of the heroes began to plan their next move.

Luso breathed" now that we took out most of Rozarria's occupying force, how do we get to the ruins that contain the Luna Sphere now?"

Cid sighed" That's what we're trying to figure out."

" What about a decoy force?" inquired Blair.

" A cheap trick, but it seems that we don't have much of a choice" said Basch.

" All right, here's what we need to do" said Ashe.

The group studied the map. Ashe started briefing her allies" There is only one road leading to the ruins, which is known as the Mirror Castle. A decoy force will engage the Rozarrian 3rd battalion while some of us will sneak into the ruins by Airship."

" If you don't mind, I can lead the decoy group" piped Blair.

" Very well, but choose your group carefully, none of us should be sacrificed" said Basch.

" That's one problem, what about the ruins?" said Vaan.

Ashe replied" I'm getting to it, Vaan. You, myself, Luso, Adelle, Penelo, Samantha and Ryan will go to the ruins. Speaking of which, the smallest airship big enough to fit multiple people we have is the Strahl."

" I hope Baltheir won't mind" sighed Penelo.

" The guy's easily bribed to an extent. He'd leap at a challenge like this if he knew that there's treasure to be found" said Vaan.

" Only treasure of great worth interests him, remember?" said Penelo.

" I'll talk to him about it, just get ready" said Ashe.

With that, the group left the tent to prepare for their next mission.

Near the outskirts of the camp, Ashe met with Baltheir and Fran" I need a favor."

" What would your bequest be?" inquired the Archadian sky pirate.

Ashe replied" assuming the Strahl is in good shape, I need it to get into the ruins in Ordalia which is currently guarded."

" The Strahl is still a fickle ship, but if it helps" interjected Fran.

" Normally I'd want some kind of reward, but I will do it for free this time, getting greedy in wartime does me no good" said Baltheir.

" It might be too dangerous for only three people, is there anyone else?" inquired the Viera.

Ashe responded" I have enlisted Vaan, Penelo, Adelle, Luso and two others."

" No problem, Fran and I will go with you then" said Baltheir.

" Its settled then" acknowledged Fran.

* * *

At the ground entrance to the ruins, Blair, Basch, Cid, Frimelda and three Archadian squadrons confronted the enemy battalion. Surprisingly, leading them was a female Rozarrian warrior.

Blair gasped" Captain Vanessa! Is that you?"

" Ah, Princess Blair, I never imagine to see our family crumble so low" sneered the soldier.

" Why is the Rozarrianmilitary attacking Ivalice?" inquired the princess.

" Details, details. I-What? Are you saying we attacked for no reason?" exclaimed Vanessa.

Basch sighed" By that I would assume you're clueless, is that so?".

" Whatever, 'Gabranth'. You're just a false judge I would say" sneered Vanessa.

" That's enough! Will you surrender or be defeated?" demanded Basch.

Vanessa sighed" I guess I could talk to the emperor about it, but I cannot appear weak in front of my men!"

" Its your decision, but the Archadian Emperor has no desire to eliminate House Rozarria" said Cid.

" Regardless, it is my duty to protect my country, as it is your duty to protect yours" said Vanessa.

Blair hesitated, then said" I would have hoped to not have to fight you, sister. But this is the way it must be."

" The same holds true to me, Blair. Now enough talk! We will both do what we must" said Vanessa.

The two princesses retreated to the back of their respective battalions.

Basch drew his blade and addressed his group" Try not to kill too many of these soldiers. They may have been foolish to participate in a fool's errand, but I would rather not kill any of the Rozarrian royals."

" We will do our best to capture some of them alive, that should also include Vanessa in this case" said Cid.

With that, the leaders of both battalions signaled their men to attack. Blair and Vanessa clashed bitterly, yet both were careful with their moves so as to not seriously injure each other.

* * *

On board the Strahl, Vaan looked out of the window" Looks like Basch has them distracted, the decoy worked."

" Great! Baltheir, do you see any place where the Strahl could land?" inquired Ashe.

" This is hardly the first time I stole into a bloody building" responded Baltheir.

With a bit of difficulty, Ashe's group found a small alcove near the middle of one of the the building's towers where they landed the Strahl.

Vaan inquired" So where would the Luna Sphere be?".

" My guess is that its at the top floor. I've never heard of this place so I cannot say" said Fran.

Penelo sighed" Well, I do hope Basch will be okay."

" The man has survived worse, so I wouldn't be too concerned" said Baltheir.

The trek through the castle quickly proved to be a near hazard. First the group had to work their way through a maze on the third floor.

" Is there any reason why no one ever comes here?" asked Samantha.

Vaan shrugged" I don't know."

" Not every mission has to be fraught with danger, sometimes things will just work out" piped Penelo.

On the fourth floor, they came across another rune puzzle, strange notes echoed through the mirror-like walls.

Penelo was entranced" Wow! Look a that, its beautiful."

" Did the Occuria have anything to do with this?" wondered Ashe.

" Hang on, there's an inscription ahead" said Fran.

The group went on to a dead end. There, a glyph with letters beneath it was glowing.

" I wonder what that is" said Luso.

" Are you going to touch it? Don't do that, it might be a trap!" cried Adelle.

" I'm sure its okay" said Luso as he touched his hand to the glyph.

The wall shined as a strange keyboard appeared.

Fran glanced at the inscription" According to this, we have to match the notes with the ones we hear."

" Music isn't exactly my strong suit, dancing is my forte" said Penelo.

Luso shrugged" I can do this, its just a basic scale."

" I can help" chirped Samantha.

As Luso and Samantha began to utilize the keyboard to match the music coming from the room, but as they worked it got more complicated.

Luso sighed" Man, this is harder then I thought."

" A little bird told me that you don't take your lessons as seriously as you should" Adelle remarked.

" I guess I will need to assist you, can you tell me where you left off?" asked Ashe.

Eventually, the trio solved the puzzle, and a nearby door materialized.

" Looks like we're clear" said Baltheir.

The group proceeded through the door which let to a staircase to the fifth floor.

When they got to the farthest room in the mirror corridor, they came upon an empty altar.

" The altar no doubt, but where's the sphere?" inquired Adelle.

" These ruins won't reveal their contents that easily" said a voice.

" That voice! Is that you, Dorek?" inquired Samantha.

The dark-clad man appeared and said" Its been a long time, Samantha. And you, Luso, I knew you and Clan Gully would not go down without a fight."

" I'm surprised that with your IQ, I didn't see you again till now" said Luso.

Samantha paled" Dorek, why are you doing this?".

" Things are not any different here then in St. Ivalice. And Luso, I really have no intention on fighting again right now because without the proper magick, I am invincible and I grow bored of easy battles" replied Dorek.

Luso sighed" then I guess you're truly dead. Everything we did together as kids were harmless enough, and I know you were never originally the type to commit base genoicide."

" I'm just about done tormenting you today. I happen to know this room had a motion sensor which triggered a silent alarm, and you will not get the Luna Sphere without defeating the ruins' guardians whether I interfere or not" said Dorek.

Ryan was astonished" Why are you helping us now then?".

Dorek replied" I forgot you were here too Ryan. Like I said, our last battle was too easy for me, don't bother coming for me Luso unless you have the Starflare Spell."

As he spoke, the mirror behind the altar glowed and mirror copies of the heroes appeared.

" How come Dorek's reflection didn't appear?" asked Samantha.

" My soul is sold to the darkness, farewell" said Dorek, using magick to disappear.

" Pussy" remarked Baltheir.

" We should concentrate on those mirror shadows" said Penelo.

The group spread out to take on the shadows.

Baltheir and Fran shot down the clones of themselves with almost no effort.

Penelo and her mirror image clashed with their daggers, but were evenly matched. Ashe had already disposed of her target before rushing to help Penelo.

Samantha's clone launched a grenade at Samantha, who quickly caught it and threw it in the monster's face.

Ryan and his clone crossed their katanas. Eventually, Ryan exploited an opening in his enemy's defense and spiked the mirror image with his shuriken.

Vaan and Luso toyed with their opponents and eventually defeated them.

The mirror behind the altar was about to revive them when Vaan destroyed it with his Pyroclasm Quickening.

The mirror images vanished, and a crystal clear stone appeared on the altar.

" Some defense magick that was" smirked Vaan.

Luso retrieved the sphere. Ashe shrugged" Thats the last one, now we must go back, I am concerned with whats happening outside."

The group went back to the Strahl, and landed it on the ground near the ruins.

By the time they got to where the decoy skirmish was taking place, Basch and his team had already defeated Vanessa's group.

" I'm glad to see you're okay your majesty" said Basch.

" Same to you, what of the battalion?" inquired Ashe.

Cid spoke up" both sides put up a fight, but several Archadian soldiers died while we routed the enemy battalion. Also, Blair managed to defeat the enemy captain."

" Where is she now?" asked Penelo.

Basch shrugged" It will take some storytelling to explain."

_Flashback_

Only ten Rozarrian 3rd battalion soldiers were captured, aside from their leader. Blair interoggated Vanessa" So why did you decide to fight us?".

" I might as well tell you, a mysterious figure poisoned the mind of our emperor. Not all of us were willing participants in this meaningless war, but there was nothing I could do but go along with it" replied Vanessa.

" I see, is there anything you can do now?" asked Blair.

The other princess shrugged" The remnants of the 3rd battalion are now under your command, I realize now that I have been decieved."

" We'll go talk to the empress then, she's at the liberation army camp" said Blair.

Blair informed Basch, who told her to go ahead while he waited for Ashe's group.

_End of Flashback_

Penelo was astonished after hearing Basch finish his explanation" Why didn't she just cooperate so that her men did not have to die?".

" Vanessa was confused, but she felt that she had to set an example to her battalion" said Cid.

" We should head back to camp now" said Fran.

" You're right" said Ashe.

The group boarded the Strahl and returned to the campsite.

There, Ashe, Adelle and Luso showed the two spheres to Lezaford.

The old sage smiled" excellent, I was a bit worried at first though."

" So now we can make the Starflare Tome?" inquired Luso.

Lezaford replied" You'll need to ask the witch of the fens about it."

Ashe turned to Luso" lets get some rest, tomorrow might be another busy day."

" Okay, but what will we do now that Loar and Ordalia are liberated?" said Adelle.

" To reach Rozarria itself, we'll need to head west, but we have to be prepared before we can do anything else" replied Ashe.

The group turned in for the night. Jylland was saved, but the real battle for Ivalice was soon to begin for Dalmasca, Archadia, Rozzaria and Jylland.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter should be an nice change of pace for all that action.

I'm sorry if most of the chapters are somewhat short, but this is one of the first of the several stories I posted on this website so far, and I don't really know how many pages a long chapter would have.

Anyway, please feel free to review.


	12. Intermission

Mike AZ 2 here, I guess I am a bit lax at updating, but here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I had absolutly nothing to do with the creation of Grimoire of the Rift. If I did, there probably would've been an alternative ending for Luso.

* * *

Chapter 11: Intermission

Shortly after the skirmish at the mirror castle, Luso and the others returned to camp. The brunette showed the spheres to Lezaford.

The old wizard spoke" You did it, Luso."

" It wasn't easy, but I got the spheres. Now what do I do?" said Luso.

Lezaford replied" Brenda, The witch of the fens, can craft the tome for you, Luso. She has her own tent not far from here."

Luso thanked the old mage and went to visit Brenda.

The Viera Sorceress met with Luso outside" It has been too long."

" Yes ma'am. Actually, I need to have something crafted" said Luso.

" I have heard about the Starflare Tome from Lezaford, you have the spheres I presume?" spoke Brenda.

Luso handed Brenda the spheres then said" So what do I owe you?"

" Have you forgotten? You need not trouble yourself or me with such trivialities" said Brenda in an exasperated tone.

Luso flushed" sorry, I'll keep quiet about it."

Brenda nodded then said" This may take a while, so come back later."

" Okay then, bye" said Luso and he left the tent.

After wondering a bit, Luso found Vaan.

" Hey, are there any new missions, Vaan?" inquired Luso.

The blond sky pirate shook his head" Not that I know of, we have the day off. Rozarria's armies apparently rivaled that of Archadia's before the war for Dalmasca's freedom."

Just then, Penelo approached Luso" Hey, Luso. your aunt wants to talk with you at her tent."

" Okay" said Luso.

The young brunette went to his aunt's tent, where May stood outside.

" You wanted to talk with me about something Aunt May?" asked Luso.

May responded" How are you getting along so far? Things have been dangerous here."

Luso responded" Okay, though I don't know if I can say the same for Dorek, he was a good friend and classmate."

" Even friends are capable of betrayal sometimes. So what did you think about me while we lived together? I'm not sure you'll think of me much after you grow up and move out of my house, since I was constantly bossing you around" sighed May

Luso shook his head" Oh, you weren't really that bossy. I probably deserved it most of the time."

" You weren't terrible in any way, everyone has their faults. You were such a dead ringer for my brother. He was quite the daredevil sometimes" said May.

" I never once complained about you, Aunt May. You were the only family I ever knew since my parents had died, and I liked you a little" said Luso with a smile.

May shrugged" The first year or less we lived together, you were still only five or six. I sometimes got a little drunk, still getting over my brother's and my sister in law's deaths in an accident, but I was still conscious enough to not let you catch my bad drinking habit, because I love you. Also, I was really protective of you since we were the only members of our family left."

" What were my parents like?" inquired Luso.

May replied" You're barely old enough to fully understand, but I suppose I should tell you now. I became a bit distant since my brother married, I was a bit jealous since I was the youngest child in my family. And whenever my brother got too far in some of his antics, I would always take the blame. My own father was somewhat strict, but I still loved him and the rest of my family. I hardly spoke much with your mother though, she was a busy woman."

" I never imagined how much I would be like my dad" said Luso.

" Neither of us ever saw him again since you were six, I think. I did my best to help with your upbringing, though I'd say my sister was much better at that sort of thing then me" said May.

" I appreciated it, even though we were both a bit stubborn. What did you think about Adelle by the way?" said Luso.

His aunt thought for a moment, then said" I don't know her as well as you do right now. But you seam to have made some good friends in this world. I think she and that man she and I talked a bit about, Cid, were kind of a positive influence on you."

" You know, I didn't trust Cid at first when I first came to Ivalice, but didn't have much choice when he and I faced a chicken-like monster called Klesta, but we worked together after that to find a way for me to return home. What did you think of the different tribes in this world though? I figured you would be surprised" said Luso.

" Most of them might seem strange, but as you get older you learn never to judge a book by it's cover. At any rate, what else would you like to discuss with me?" inquired May.

As Luso and his Aunt May were having their heart-to-heart chat, Adelle was at the opposite side of the camp, gazing at the clouds.

Cid glanced at her then said" Is there anything on your mind?"

" Kind of, what do you care anyway? You never liked me at first now that I think about it" quipped Adelle.

Cid grunted, then said" I know, I was so mad when you first cheated Luso and I out of a deal on our first encounter."

The pink haired girl was silent as she continued to stare at the sky.

" Doesn't having Luso back make you happy?" piped Rodrick, who was passing by while patrolling the exterior of the army's campsite.

Adelle flushed, then said" I was surprised when I saw him appearing near Camoa. I missed him, but that really isn't any of your business you know."

Cid addressed Rodrick" You'd best get back on patrol. We don't get paid for doing nothing."

" Yes sir, right away" said Rodrick.

The next couple of hours went by as Luso waited for Brenda to complete the Stareflare Tome. Eventually, Adelle spoke with her friend" Hey, Luso. The Witch of the Fens is nearly finished crafting the Stareflare Tome, let's go see her."

" Okay" said Luso.

The pair went over to Brenda's tent, where the Viera witch waited for them.

The woman spoke" I have finished creating the tome you need. Here you go."

Luso was presented with a gold leather tome with a star engraved on the cover. He opened the book to see what is inside and said" Amazing, so this magick is the strongest ever created?"

" It is the only thing that can counteract the Dark Grimoire's magick. Once you learn the spell, you will be able to cast it whenever you are in need" said Brenda.

" Thanks" said Luso.

Adelle smiled" Now we can kick that madman out of Ivalice!"

Luso shrugged" No doubt, though I somehow doubt that infiltrating Rozarria will be easy."

" Rozarria has stronger defenses around the capital, Queen Ashelia and Emperor Larsa's campaign may take a long time yet" said Brenda.

" How do you know about Rozarria?" chirped Adelle.

Brenda sighed, then said" I'd rather not talk about it, but that country is as big as Archadia. I know this because I traveled some before settling down at the Fens on Ordalia."

Just then, Cid approached Luso and Adelle" Luso, Adelle, we've got another strategy session to attend."

" Be right there, Cid" said Luso.

Adelle addressed Brenda" Thanks for the tome."

" I require no thanks, but I appreciate it anyway" said Brenda.

Luso, Cid and Adelle returned to the command tent where Vaan, Penelo, Ashe, Larsa and Al-Cid were sitting.

Al-Cid spoke" Rozarria's defenses get harder to overcome as we advance, the capital itself has not only the Rozarrian Royal Guard, but the Emperor himself and our quarry Dorek."

" Is there any way we can arrange a cease-fire with Rozarria?" spoke Ashe.

Larsa thought for a moment, then replied" Due to Archadia's involvement, a peace talk may not be entirely pleasant. Archadia and Rozarria are bitter rivals you know."

" Are you still with us? We're fighting your father after all, a father and son shouldn't have to fight each other" said Penelo.

Al-Cid was somber as he spoke" I might have some regrets, but I do this for the good of our nations."

" What is our next mission?" spoke Vaan.

Al-Cid replied" Rozarria lies west of here, but it would be foolish to go any further without fortifying our defenses at Dalmasca and Jylland, as some of my country's regiments may eventually counterattack."

" Here's what we'll do then. A small team of Archadian and Dalmascan soldiers led by Prince Xander of Rozarria will be stationed at Rebanastre to protect it, Judge Zargabaath's fleet will patrol the skies above it" said Larsa.

" What about Jylland?" inquired Luso.

Al-Cid said" I do not think Jylland will be captured again, Rozarria itself is so vast that the main forces have their hands full."

Ashe nodded" Then it is settled, though it will take more time to prepare for our assault. We will depart within a week after we organize our defenses."

Luso turned to address Adelle" Want to go for a walk?"

" Sure" said Adelle, smiling.

" Don't wonder too far from the camp" said Cid.

" We won't" said Luso.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Rozarria's imperial palace, Emperor Luther had summoned Dorek to his throne" Are you certain you know what you're doing? Jylland was liberated from what my spies told me, not only that, but some of my family has turned against me."

Dorek replied" Just messing around here and there, I will soon show Luso who is the best. Even if he got the Starflare spell, he has not as much experience as me in the arcane arts."

" I hope you are powerful enough to back your mouth" said a nearby Rozarrian general with dark hair and brown eyes.

" General Lucius, you will remain silent" said Luther.

Lucius sighed" Sorry your highness."

The emperor then turned angrily towards Dorek" You backed me while I send for my forces to invade the eastern lands of Ivalice, and for what?"

" Would you like to know? Wait and see, soon I will gain the power of the rift. Even if Dalmasca, Archadia and their allies make it to the capital, we can win with the power of the Dark Grimoire" retorted Dorek.

Luther sighed" Even so, Archadia's Emperor Larsa Solidor and Dalmasca's Queen Ashelia Dalmasca cast a very grim eye on duplicity, violence and dishonesty. I shudder to think what might happen to my country since we attacked for supposedly no reason."

Dorek replied calmly" I have taken some measures to deplete the allied army as much as possible before they reach this castle. They will surely fall into my trap."

" I hope so for my kingdom's sake" said Luther.

Dorek turned around and left the throne room.

General Lucius spoke with the emperor" Are you certain he can be trusted? That insufferable Dorek is a complete mystery to everyone, he's more dangerous then Archadia and Dalmasca."

Luther replied" I wanted to expand my borders a bit, but made enemies with Jylland in the process. As for Dorek, we can do nothing about him. Have a spy keep an eye on Dorek if you wish, but he will likely catch wind of that. You may head to your quarters."

The general nodded" Yes, your highness."

Luther thought as he sat on his throne" Al-Cid, Blair, Priscilla, I hope you'll forgive me. This war was the result of my weakness."

* * *

Back at Jylland, the heroes were spending the week preparing for the upcoming battle.

It had been three days since the meeting and the creation of the Stareflare Tome, Luso was spending as much time with Adelle as he could.

Adelle spoke to her friend" Luso, are you still going back home again after this is settled?"

" Maybe, though sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have left. Ivalice is a bit better then my world, but I had to leave" said the brunette.

" Clan Gully was temporarily disbanded after Khamja's defeat and Ilua's death three years ago. Cid eventually reorganized our clan two years later, while I was beginning to think I'd never see you again" said pink haired woman.

Luso responded" I missed you too, but I had other things on my mind as well. Anyway, how is Khamja still around after we destroyed its leaders anyway?"

Adelle thought for a moment, then said" I wish I knew. I would have expected them to disband since their organization is in shambles, but it looks like we might face Khamja's remnants soon."

" Yeah, and now that I think of our adventure, it seems like old times so far" smiled Luso.

Adelle smirked" You bet. It was nice to finally see you again."

" Yeah, me too" said Luso.

The pair watched the clouds go by for a while then headed back to the campsite.

There, they ran into Vaan and Penelo at their tent.

The male blond sky pirate spoke" Hey, I never got to congratulate you in the tournament back in Dalmasca."

" Well, thanks, it was the second time I crossed swords with you. Or was it the first?"

Adelle rolled her eyes" The first time, those imposter's didn't count."

Penelo piped up" Well, we should rest up for today. From what I heard, we will eventually head west to confront the Rozarrian imperial army."

" Do you think we can win? An army sounds like it would be on a whole other level then a organized war clan" said Luso.

Penelo rolled her eyes" Don't insult Dalmasca and Archadia's resources."

" Sorry. Anyway, why did you become a pirate?" inquired Luso.

Vaan replied" It's a long story, though mostly it was for freedom and adventure. Not all sky pirates are bad, though the good ones are few and far between."

Penelo spoke" Well anyway, we really should turn in. Otherwise we might not all survive the battle at Rozarria."

" Got it" said Luso.

The four of them settled in at nightfall. As he fell asleep, Luso started to think about choosing between a new life in Ivalice or return to his home again.

Unknown to the armies of Dalmasca, Archadia, and the Rozarrian rebels, Dorek was hatching a plan to completely obliterate them as they neared the Rozarrian capital.

* * *

Finally got this chapter finished. I hope no one minds if I take my time to finish this fic, though it could be months at this rate.

Again, I know most of the chapters to this fic are short, but I am doing my best to expand on the story.

Anyway, please feel free to review.


	13. The Rozarrian Border

Mike AZ 2 here. Another Day and another chapter, that last one I recently uploaded took a long while, but this should make up for it. My reviews may be few, but I appreciate them. My regards to Teddypro and Nicknasby.

I can agree on Teddypro's recent review that it was about dang time that I finished uploading the previous chapter. Maybe working on several fics at the same time wasn't such a good idea after all, oh well.

Well, here's the next chapter. Remember: I had no part in the development of FF Tactics A2. Sorry if this disclaimer seems a bit forced.

* * *

Chapter 12: The Rozarrian Border

The next couple of days passed as the heroes made ready to storm Rozarria.

Ashe summoned Vaan, Baltheir, Fran, Penelo, Basch, Cid, Luso, Adelle, Larsa, and Al-Cid for another strategy session.

The Dalmascan queen addressed her allies" Princess Vanessa's squad and a battalion of Archadian soldiers will be stationed here to guard Jylland, aided by some Archadian airships. The rest of us will proceed to Rozarria's borders via the _Strahl_, the _Galbana, _and the _Alexander_. I know what you said about the probability of a counterattack on Jylland Al-Cid, but it is better to be prepared."

" If I might ask, what is there at the borders?" inquired Penelo.

Ashe replied" During my visit to Rozarria, I caught a glimpse of a fortress at the border which is surprisingly large, it held by one of Rozarria's elite battalions."

Luso piped up" Are they anything like the battalions we fought so far?"

" More or less, but the soldiers there are well trained, apparently. That fortress from what I heard guards the eastern borders of Rozarria" said Ashe.

" So our goal now is to capture that fortress" said Fran.

Larsa nodded" I have to agree with Lady Ashelia's tactics thus far, but even should we capture the fortress, we should try to appeal to Emperor Rozarria for a peace talk before we do any further damage to his country."

" The chances of my country surrendering is slim if we were to do that due to unknown circumstances, but no harm in trying I suppose" said Al-Cid.

" What about Dorek and the Dark Grimoire?" spoke Luso.

" We'll deal with them eventually, but the immediate threat is still Rozarria. The emperor has not been himself since the day before Rozarria invaded Jylland" said Larsa.

Cid addressed Ashe" How do plan to go about it?"

Ashe replied" We will land our fleet close, but not too close, to the fortress. I will organize which units participate in the upcoming skirmish there."

" I suggest we depart tomorrow" said Larsa.

" I agree, be sure to rest up tonight everyone" said Ashe.

At dawn the next day, the heroes and units participating in the siege of Rozarria's Eastern Border fortress boarded their airships and took off.

On board the Galbana, Penelo addressed Vaan" You seem to always find adventure everywhere we go, Vaan."

" Trouble usually finds me, what did you think of the situation anyway?" inquired the male blond sky pirate.

" When we first fought Dorek at his hideout, I didn't feel as much malice in his powers as Vayne, Feolthanos, or Illua had" sighed Penelo.

Vaan thought for a moment" Maybe something is controlling him. If it's another rogue Occuria I swear I'll launch him into orbit."

Penelo shook her head" That doesn't sound likely. The other Occuria would've known if there was another rogue besides Venat, though there is much we still don't know."

" Yeah. Feolthanos wasn't that bad though, it is hard to tell good from pure evil sometimes" said Vaan.

Llyud turned to address Vaan from where he was piloting the Galbana" We're nearing Rozzaria."

" Understood" said Vaan.

The Galbana and the other airships landed, and the army unloaded it's tents and supplies. After that, the heroes returned to the main tent to discuss their tactics.

Ashe spoke with the group" We don't know what our opponents have in store for us, but Clan Gully, House Bowen, Llyud's warriors, and a joint company of Archadian and Dalmascan soldiers should be able to do the job."

" Have you decided on the leader for this skirmish yet?" said Al-Cid.

" Yes. Cid, Luso, Adelle, myself, Vaan, Penelo and Basch will move onward to the fortress and strike. We will find the enemy commander in charge of the fortress and capture him if possible" said Ashe.

" That might work" acknowledged Basch.

Vaan nodded" I'm all for it."

Cid shrugged" Sounds like we have a plan then."

" Let's prepare to move out then" said Basch.

* * *

An hour later at the East Border Defense fortress, a Rozarrian soldier rushed to his commander, a male hume with brown hair and clad in heavy armor, and reported" Captain Gareth! Our scouts detected that the enemy has begun to attack!"

" They must be desperate or stupid. Man the defenses, ensure that both the upper and lower levels are guarded, Private" said Gareth.

" Yes sir!" said the soldier as he hurried to rally the rest of the garrison.

Another guard soon spoke with the captain" Sir! They've already broken the gates with magick! We're going to lose, I just know it."

" Quit whining about it and get back to your post, I will personally oversee this fight from here" sighed Gareth.

" Yes sir, sorry sir" said the guard.

* * *

Outside the fort, Ashe addressed her group" The enemy inside the fortress may be considerably tough, we must be ready."

" We'll do our best" said Vaan.

" Assuming you can get past us" said a voice.

The group turned to see a company of two Hume fighters and a pair of Bangaa warriors, along with twenty Rozarrian soldiers.

One of the hume fighters shouted" In the name of the Rozarrian Empire, we'll make sure you never breach the borders!"

Basch calmly stepped forward" Archadia will not falter, nor shall Dalmasca. I recommend to your commander that he surrenders at once."

" Why You! Charge!" shouted the other fighter.

Ashe's group quickly got into formation and fought the fortress' guards.

The Hume fighter who led the first wave of the fortress' garrison sneered as he and Basch clashed" I see that you are a false judge!"

" Hardly the first time I have heard that, but I have no time to waste words with you" said Basch, and he fatally slashed the soldier's chest.

The other Rozarrian soldiers outside the fort soon were defeated, but casualties were dealt to the heroes' army.

" Is that it?" said Adelle.

" The regulars were probably waiting for us to exhaust ourselves" said Vaan.

Penelo glanced at the lifeless bodies and made a face before speaking" From what I can tell, we lost three Dalmascan soldiers and one Archadian knight."

Cid shrugged" We should still be able to complete our mission here."

" Let's head in" said Basch.

The heroes and their unit entered the fort and fought past more soldiers as they headed for the main room.

There, they saw a staircase leading up and another one leading down.

Vaan looked around then addressed Ashe" So now what?"

Ashe replied" Basch, Cid and I will take some of our unit down to clear out any soldiers waiting in ambush, we can't risk an attack from the rear since our enemy here is stronger then the battalions we defeated at Jylland. The rest of you will proceed upward to capture the enemy commander if possible."

" Will you be all right?" piped Luso.

" Smaller numbers mean better mobility, remember that" said Basch, gently.

" Let's move out then" said Cid.

As Luso and his group went upstairs with the members of House Bowen, five Aegyl warriors, five Archadian soldiers and three Dalmascan volunteer soldiers, Ashe's group ran into several Rozarrian dragoons.

" You'll never win" shouted a dragoon.

Ashe narrowed her eyes" Don't underestimate me."

The dragoons charged right at the group.

Meanwhile upstairs, Luso and his team engaged thirty Rozarrian knights.

As Adelle blasted three enemies down with her Lennart Beam ability, she griped" These guys won't give up!"

" We can take 'em!" said Bowen, cockily.

A soldier tried to stab Bowen in the back, and was intercepted by Fye, one of Llyud's warriors.

" That was certainly a dirty trick, I know no Aegyl that would do that" she sighed as she stabbed the enemy.

" Do 'Aegyl' fight honorably then?" said Luso as he cast a fire spell at a nearby enemy soldier.

" Not necessarily" interjected Penelo, who was tending to any injured friendly units with her white magick.

As the fights dragged on, casualties among the soldiers of both armies were mounting. Just then, two more figures charged in and helped mopped the floor with the Rozarrian knights attacking Luso's team.

" Filo! Llyud!" gasped Vaan, recognizing the pair.

" I didn't have much choice, Filo wanted to help" said the red winged aegyl.

" Impeccable timing, Llyud" remarked Fye.

Vaan glanced ahead" The enemy commander's room must be up ahead."

" We'll wait for you here" said one of the Archadian soldiers.

Vaan stepped forward" Right. Filo, Llyud, Luso, Adelle, Penelo, let's move."

" Is it really okay for me to go any further since I wasn't assigned to the active unit?" spoke Filo.

" I'll put in a good word for you" said Vaan.

The six of them marched into the commander's quarters. Luso spoke with the man inside" Are you the leader of this fortress' garrison?"

" Indeed. I am Gareth, a captain of the Rozarrian Imperial Army" said the man.

Vaan stepped forward to him" You may want to turn yourself in at this point, her majesty Queen Ashellia of Dalmasca wishes no unnecessary bloodshed."

" I feel the same way as your queen, but I must do my duty to Rozarria" said Gareth, drawing his sword.

" So be it" said Llyud.

Gareth cast a bravery spell on himself to make himself stronger and said" Prepare yourselves!"

Vaan and Luso drew their blades and launched themselves at Gareth.

The enemy commander smoothly dodged their strikes and tried to stab Vaan, but was foiled by 'Lennart'.

" Foiled!" smirked Adelle.

" This is just the beginning" snarled Gareth as he threw a thunder spell at the Heritor.

Adelle dodged, while Llyud launched himself up to the ceiling and plunged his lance downward towards their adversary.

The commander rolled away and countered. Llyud dodged so the sword barely nicked his thigh.

As Penelo healed Llyud, Filo thrust her skybandit right into Gareth's chest, knocking him down flat unconscious.

" Was it my imagination, or was this too easy?" mused Vaan.

Llyud shrugged" I cannot say, but it was good to be working with you and Filo again, Vaan."

Vaan pulled out some rope and tied the unconscious commander up. Penelo shrugged" Anyway, we should report this to Ashe, her group is probably done with the basement by now."

About an hour later as the fighting died down, Ashe acknowledged Vaan and his group's accomplishment.

" This one wouldn't go down without a fight, but we did our best" said Vaan.

Ashe replied" I expected no less, though I wouldn't want to submit without doing my best either. I will interrogate the enemy commander once he wakes up."

" We'll begin moving our airships closer to the fortress, I would recommend using it as a base until we defeat Rozarria" said Basch.

" Won't that cause us problems when it comes to a peace talk?" said Penelo.

Ashe shook her head" I doubt it, we'llreturn it to Rozarria if we come to an agreement with the Rozarrian emperor."

Cid thought for a moment, then said" I normally keep my thoughts to myself, but I don't know if a peace talk is feasible. If we were to stop fighting now, I might have to go around knocking some of my clan mates unconscious. Rodrick and Morricad were both fazed most by Rozarria's unexplained aggression and want revenge."

" Same goes for me, though I doubt it would be the case with Veis" said Bowen.

Ashe piped up" Let's just get back to work."

" At least defending the fort would be a bit easier then capturing it" shrugged Vaan.

The heroes and their army moved into the fortress, setting up camp and their airships around it.

Basch and Ashe interrogated Gareth shortly after he recovered to find out about the Rozarrian army's motives, but only received a little information. Gareth had not been informed much about Rozarria's emperor's motives.

The former commander shrugged" Anyway, I will go try to appeal to my emperor to stop the fighting."

Basch nodded" That will be appreciated."

Ashe agreed and released Gareth.

Penelo interjected" Sure about that? We don't know if he is really acting of his own free will or not."

Gareth shrugged" It doesn't matter, I cannot ignore this senseless violence any longer."

" I personally hope we do not have to fight much longer" sighed Ashe as Commander Gareth left.

" Most of us feel the same" said Basch, reassuringly.

Ashe smiled" I know, Basch."

Elsewhere, Luso and Adelle were speaking with Mewt, May and Cid.

" When we came here to investigate the abnormalities of our two dimensions, I never imagined it would come to this" said May.

" I know, Dorek may have his reasons, but this madness is going to far" said Mewt.

Luso shrugged" Could we possible save him from himself though? I honestly don't want to kill Dorek."

Adelle put a hand on her friend's shoulder" I know how you feel, knocking off monsters is one thing, but it is different when it comes to taking someones life. But what are we talking about? Illua had to be dealt with, so why is this any different?"

" Who's Illua?" asked May.

Luso hesitated, then responded" Illua was a madwoman who tried to obtain the power of the 'Rift' at Jylland. She was a powerful sorceress and swordswoman, not to mention an old, former colleague of Cid's. Illua was defeated years ago, but I can tell you that she was evil."

" I see" said May.

Mewt thought for a moment, then said" I understand your concerns, Luso. At times even I have mixed feelings about some situations."

Cid shrugged" Either we end this war one way or another and save Ivalice, or the Dark Grimoire will dig us all an early grave."

" What's gotten into you, Cid? It's not like you to talk like that you know" said Adelle.

" I find myself thinking sometimes, not that I expected you to care" said Cid.

Mewt spoke up" We should get some rest, we don't know what to expect tomorrow."

" I agree" said Cid.

The group retired to their tents outside for the night. Blissfully unaware of what Dorek had in store for them as they got closer to Rozarria itself.

* * *

How was it? Can't believe I'm uploading an action fic chapter on a day like this. I suppose I could've done a Thanksgiving One-Shot fic instead, but oh well. I didn't want to take too long to do this chapter, as from now it might be another couple days before I do another chapter. Happy Thanksgiving!

I know Illua's character class in Grimoire of the Rift was a 'Nightshade' or something like that, but since I don't fully understand that term, I kept it simple.

Please feel free to review.


	14. Revenge of Clan Khamja

Mike AZ 2 here, I'm kind of running out of stuff to say in my pre-chapter notes save for this disclaimer: Squaresoft copyrighted and owns all Final Fantasy games, characters, locations, etc.

Well anyway, here's the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 13: Revenge of Clan Khamja

Three days passed since the united armies and heroes of Dalmasca, Archadia and Jylland defeated the Rozarrian soldiers at one of the Rozarrian empire's border strongholds and requested a peace talk with the emperor.

Captain Gareth, whom Queen Ashellia and her allies captured, offered to help Ashe and Larsa stop the fighting and left for Castle Rozarria.

At the occupied fortress, the heroes were camping outside the fort, waiting for a reply from Emperor Luther Margrace.

" You know, things have been quiet for a while" said Filo.

" Well, who knows? We do not have any idea what our enemy could be thinking" shrugged Llyud.

Luso, who hanging out with Adelle, spoke with his pink-haired ally" I've been doing some thinking lately."

" Oh?" said Adelle, inquisitively.

" Maybe I can consider staying when this is all over or something. I mean, did you miss me much when I left?"

Adelle flushed, then said" What are you saying? Well, maybe a little, part of me wanted to see you again, though I was just about to give up a half year ago. But don't get me wrong, I just liked you a little back then, three years ago."

Luso smirked" Yeah, me too. So anyway, I'm just saying, maybe I can stay here in Ivalice for good this time. My world wasn't too bad, though this one was probably a little better."

The Heritor sighed" I never thought much of the future, much less the past. I always kept focused on the present, my past has never been too happy."

" Hey, what are you two talking about over here?" said a voice, as Samantha walked towards them.

" Huh? Oh, you know, some" said Luso, sheepishly.

Samantha rolled her eyes" Ah, well, no need to say it, I know who's got it going on!"

" Hey! It's not like that!" exclaimed Adelle.

" Sure" smirked Samantha.

" Okay, enough harassing the two lovebirds" said Ryan, coming up.

" Lovebirds?" squeaked Adelle.

" He means us" elaborated Luso.

Ryan shrugged" Can't blame Samantha, you've never shown an interest in girls years ago as long as I knew you, Luso."

Adelle piped up" Really?"

" Well, Luso wasn't the brightest at the Academy in our world" said Samantha.

" Did you have to bring that up?" sighed Luso.

" Well, it was some time ago" said Ryan.

Luso shrugged and said" Want to spar a bit?"

Ryan smirked" Why not? Don't hold back."

" Don't forget about me" said Adelle.

" Are you four at it? Never mind, I'll be the judge" interjected Mewt.

Luso addressed the older man" Sure about that, Mr. Randell?"

Mewt replied" Why not? It never hurts to practice, just be sure you don't go all out."

Luso turned to Adelle" Guess it's on."

" Let's head out of the camp a bit, we don't want to cause unnecessary problems" said Mewt.

" Okay" chirped Samantha.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Rozarria's Imperial Palace, Gareth had finished informing Emperor Margrace about the current situation, and about the proposed peace talk.

Luther spoke after Gareth finished his report" I see, so Dalmasca and Archadia do not necessarily want to eliminate Rozarria?"

" Queen Ashellia Dalmasca and Emperor Larsa Solidor are willing to do what it takes to end this war, they have no intention of eliminating our forces if we can settle it peacefully" said Gareth.

General Lucius raised an eyebrow" How do we know it is not a trap?"

Luther sighed" Keep it to your self, general, summon Dorek here at once."

" Yes sire" said Lucius and filed briefly from the room.

" What of myself?" spoke Gareth.

The emperor replied" tell Queen Ashellia that I have decided to respond and speak at the fortress she's occupying."

" Understood" said Gareth.

A minute later, Dorek and General Lucius reentered the throne room. The former spoke" Yes?"

" I plan to honor Archadia and Dalmasca's request and talk with them. You can continue to do what you wish, though I still have my doubts about you."

Dorek replied" I see. Well then, I shall take the opportunity to see my old 'friend' and his allies."

Emperor Margrace raised an eyebrow" So you attend to be present?"

" We will see" said Dorek, casually.

" What is this about anyway? First you push us to attack Jylland, and now you play a peace, what are you scheming?" said General Lucius.

" Silence! Let it go for now, you and my elite guard will accompany me to the east border fortress, general" said Emperor Margrace.

" Yes, your highness" said Lucius, relenting.

As Emperor Margrace and his general left, a nearby Hume knight in black armor came out of the shadows and addressed" He still suspects nothing?"

Dorek spoke" Has the rest of your group mobilized?"

The man nodded" Yeah, my clan is organized and ready to revenge ourselves on Clan Gully."

" You're just as much of an enigma as I am, Kelvax" remarked Dorek.

The shadow warrior shrugged" As a linchpin of the shadow Clan Khamja, I never make a point to let anyone know about myself. Though I will let Cid know that I am a greater force to be reckoned with then Illua ever was."

Dorek shrugged" You have a dangerous mind no doubt, but I do need you as much as you need me for this. We will launch our trap at the eastern fort, since that army has not planned to go for the capital without diplomacy. Just leave Luso to me."

" May I ask, who is this Luso?" inquired Kelvax.

" Never you mind, just get to it and stick to the plan" said Dorek.

" Very well" said Kelvax.

* * *

Another three days passed, Captain Gareth got bsck to the fortress and spoke with Ashe, Al-Cid and Larsa.

The Dalmascan queen said" So he's coming here?"

Gareth nodded" Yes, however he's bringing his royal guard with him. Never can be too careful. Also, he requests that the meeting be held outside the fort."

" Did he say anything about his actions?" spoke Larsa.

The former captain shook his head" No, but he seemed troubled by something."

Al-Cid frowned" Do you know what it might be?"

" No" said Gareth, sadly.

" Well, thank you for letting us know, what will you do now?" inquired Ashe.

" I will stay here, even with Rozarrian soldiers on your side, you may need me" said the captain.

Al-Cid nodded" Do what you want."

Ashe addressed Cid and Al-Cid" Luso, Adelle, Judge Gabranth, Vaan, Penelo, Empress Priscilla and her group should also be present at the conference. I don't know if this is a trap, but we cannot take risks."

Larsa replied" I agree with you, lady Ashe."

The next day, the assigned group members and the Rozarrian Emperor prepared to hold their conference. Blair, Priscilla, Vanessa, and Al-Cid greeted him.

" I am glad to see the four of you, Priscilla" said Emperor Margrace.

" As are we, Luther, but why did you come here yourself?" spoke Priscilla.

Emperor Margrace replied" I felt the need to explain myself, but don't get me wrong. I can't say whether we can ressolve things peacefully."

Blair smiled" I am just happy to talk to you again, father."

" What of Xander?" spoke Emperor Margrace.

" He is currently protecting Dalmasca" said Priscilla.

" I see, well at least I know you're all okay" said the emperor.

Shortly, in the conference room, Emperor Margrace addressed Larsa and Ashe" My, I must say that it is good to finally meet you."

" You're too kind" said Ashe.

Larsa spoke" I'm glad we could talk like this."

Emperor Margrace responded" I wasn't looking forward to having to fight my own family, but under the circumstances it may be difficult to reach a peaceful solution, my people in particular are afraid they will have to share the blame for my country's actions."

" I can imagine" remarked Vaan.

Ashe continued as though she didn't hear Vaan" I hoped to avoid war."

The emperor replied" My rule was very shaky, some of the nobles of my country wanted to take revenge on Archadia."

" Were you responsible for the current war?" inquired Larsa.

" I cannot deny that I was pushed into laying siege on Jylland, thus the final decision was mine. Also I have had my own problems" said Emperor Margrace.

Priscilla smiled at her husband" But at least you took the time to talk with us."

" So you were merely a pawn?" spoke Cid.

" I cannot say what Khamja was trying to do with my mind" sighed Emperor Margrace.

" So Khamja is still active?" squeaked Adelle.

General Lucius interjected" We do not know exactly what is going on."

Vanessa shrugged" I was confused at first."

" So now what?" prompted Basch.

Emperor Margrace replied" I regret that at present I have no way to ensure a lasting peace between Dalmasca, Jylland, Rozarria and Archadia, but I can order a cease-fire."

Larsa nodded" That will be appreciated."

" Another issue that I must discuss with you is the Dark Grimoire, have you heard of it?" spoke Ashe.

Emperor Margrace paled" It is a diabolical tome, it's power scared me when the one behind this showed me what it could do."

Luso spoke up" Dorek was a friend of mine, once. I want to stop him, but I don't know if he can be saved."

" We'll figure something out" said Cid.

Just then, a Rozarrian soldier rushed in, injured" We're under attack!"

"What?" exclaimed Emperor Margrace.

" Who could it be?" said Ashe.

The soldier replied" I don't know! But whoever it was has brainwashed Rozarrian soldiers and is now attacking!"

" This is worse then I thought, how are the others?" inquired Basch.

" They're barely managing to keep a tight defense! We must-"

Before the soldier could finish his scentence, a sword stabbed him in the back and the soldier fell.

Behind the slain soldier was a man in a black armor and a Ebon cape. With him was a group of enemy warriors.

" Who the heck are you?" shouted Cid.

The knight coolly responded" I am Kelvax, one of Clan Khamja's elite."

Emperor Margrace drew his own blade as his guards formed a line on either side" Who's behind this?"

Kelvax replied" Would you like to know? You Rozarrian buffoons walked right into a trap. As did Dalmasca and Archadia."

" How did you get past the defenses?" said Basch.

" Don't underestimate us, your pitiful army barely had time to respond before we struck" said Kelvax.

" Lennart!" shouted Adelle, unleashing one of her Heritor techniques.

The blow startled Kelvax, enabling Cid to engage the enemy knight in combat.

Ashe quickly evacuated the rest of her group from the conference room.

" So now what?" spoke Vaan.

" Half of us will reinforce the eastern gate, the rest will help defend the west gate and courtyard" said Ashe.

Behind them, Emperor Margrace's guards had remained to fight off the rest of Kelvax's group, while General Lucius and Emperor Margrace escaped the fight now taking place in the room.

Emperor Margrace scoweled" So Khamja and Dorek intended to strike down Rozarria with one blow!"

Luso sighed" How insane can he get?"

Ashe quickly dished out her instructions" Vaan, you, Penelo, Adelle and Luso will try to aid in the west gate's defense, the rest of us will handle the east."

" What about Cid?" griped Luso.

" You know our leader, Luso. He cheated death before!" said Adelle.

" Al-Cid, Vanessa, you two accompany Luso, the rest of you help the eastern defense, I will help Cid" said Emperor Margrace after his guards barely defeated the enemy warriors.

" Are you sure you're taking enough men, father?" spoke Vanessa.

The Rozarrian emperor shrugged" Even if I should fall, it will rest upon Al-Cid's shoulders to guide this country."

Luso hesitated, then said" Let's go kick Khamja's butt then! They couldn't stop us years ago."

" Now you're talking!" said Adelle.

The assigned groups rushed to help their allies, while Emperor Margrace rushed back to help Cid. The Rozarrian emperor tried to run his blade through Kelvax, but the man leapt out of the way.

" I appreciate the backup, but shouldn't you be worried about your safety?" said Cid.

Emperor Margrace replied" If I cannot defend my people, I do not deserve to call myself their king."

" Are you ignoring me? Take This!" shouted Kelvax.

The man launched a magick blade wave and the two swordsmen, but Cid stood in front of Emperor Margrace, barely getting himself nicked in the process.

Just then, a blade caught Kelvax off guard. Emperor Margrace gasped as he said Vanessa" What are you doing?"

" I will not allow House Margrace to suffer like this" said the princess.

" I won't be defeated that easily" sneered Kalvax, whirling around to knock Vanessa out.

" Not my daughter you monster!" shouted Emperor Margrace as he suddenly charged.

As the two clashed, Cid took the opprotunity to launch 'Air Render' at the dark knight. Kelvax shrugged it off and proceeded to attack his opponents.

* * *

At the west gate of the fortress, Vaan's group barely got there in time to help Filo, Llyud, Baltheir, Fran, Rodrick, Morricad, and Frimelda fight off some of Khamja's toughest ninjas.

Frimelda remarked" Khamja's much tougher then it was three years ago."

" A wounded beast is often a dangerous one" said Baltheir.

Vaan shouted" Everything all right now?"

Fran sighed" The mist grows even thicker."

" Let's drive them back from this gate" said Llyud.

" Yeah!" shouted Filo.

As the next wave of Khamja's warriors and Rozarrian soldiers attacked, Vaan and the others managed to hold their ground.

Luso looked around" Something is not quite right."

Rodrick squared his shoulders" Whatever may come next, we're ready."

" You're no fools, I can see that" said a voice.

Luso turned to face the figure coming up to them.

" Dorek!" said Luso.

The man smiled" you're a worthier opponent then I would expect, but now we shall duel!"

Luso reached into his pocket and withdrew the Stareflare Tome" You're on!"

Dorek prepped the Dark Grimoire" Let's see who wins."

Adelle drew her sword" Luso, you might need my help."

" This is my fight, I can't let anyone else risk themselves" said Luso.

" Let me help you decide" said Dorek, summoning powerful monsters to his side.

Llyud gasped" The Yahri? It can't be."

Dorek ran towards a clearing not far from the fortress, taunting" Bet you can't get past all that."

Luso and Adelle quickly ran after their quarry, while the others stood back to fight off the monsters.

* * *

Back inside, Cid, Vanesssa and Emperor Margrace barely lasted more then five minutes before Kelvax had them weakened.

The Dark Knight smirked" Ha! This is too easy."

As Kelvax raised his sword to strike down Emperor Margrace, a group of Wyvern Espers appeared and launched a torrent of fire while a thunder spell hit the Khamja warrior in the shoulder.

" Who did that?" said Vanessa.

A brown haired mage and two others stood forward. One of them said" You're not going to win that easy."

" And you are?" sneered Kelvax.

Kytes smirked" I am Kytes, Dalmasca most powerful mage!"

" How did you summon Espers anyway?" said a voice as the black clad judge majister approached.

" I created a substitute for the Stone that we used to summon Espers, but it shouldn't affect my anima" said Kytes, dismissing the wyverns.

" Who the heck are you?" growled Kelvax.

Basch coolly replied" If you would recall the name and title, Judge Majister Gabranth, I suggest you withdraw."

" Do you think you can fool me with that old trick?" snapped Kelvax as he launched a powerful thunder spell at the group.

Emperor Margrace quickly intercepted the attack and pushed towards Kelvax. Basch meanwhile cast a Shell spell on the emperor and Kytes.

Angered, Kelvax snarled" Okay, How about this?"

The dark knight launched a Crescent Blast at the group, which mostly struck Emperor Margrace.

" Your parlor tricks are nothing" said a voice, as General Lucius stood forward.

" H-help me, general, I can't stop him" gasped Emperor Margrace.

Lucius drew a lance and stepped forward. The three men stood between their opponent and their allies. Cid stood up" Ready to give up?"

" Never!" growled the Khamja warrior as he threw a final blast from his sword at the group. Emperor Margrace and General Lucius were thrown back.

Basch quickly charged at Kelvax, Cid and Kytes backed their ally up with magick and special attacks.

Seeing that he was outmatched, Kelvax said" This isn't over, I will be back, and I will avenge Illua!"

The man threw a smoke bomb and made his escape.

Kytes shrugged" What a chicken, should we pursue him, Basch?"

The Judge Majister shook his head" No, we drove him back, and that is all for now, we must tend to the injured."

" Okay" said Kytes.

Cid nodded and the three started administrating healing potions to the two injured royals.

Seeing the severity of the damage on Emperor Margrace's body, Cid sighed" This wound is the most serious."

Emperor Margrace gasped" It... it is nothing, I've taken more magick damage then I thought possible."

Vanessa stood up after recieving a Hi-Potion from Kytes" Don't say that, we'll help you."

Basch sighed" We can do nothing for him here, I shall have to carry him."

" No, I'll do it" said General Lucius.

* * *

Meanwhile, Luso and Adelle had confronted Dorek at the clearing not far from the fortress' west gate. The villain sneered" I guess you're prepared to taste defeat again."

Luso retorted" I won't let you do this to Ivalice!"

Dorek calmly said" Do you really think you can stop me with your new toy?"

" Luso's not alone, I will share his fate if I need to" piped Adelle.

Dorek drew power from his grimoire and casted a Dark Flame Wall spell.

Luso quickly opened his new tome, powered up the spell and cited" Starflare!"

A massive, golden star shaped fireball with a star in the center clashed with the opposing spell.

Both Luso and Dorek focused, each fueling their energy into the spells.

Adelle stood with Luso and launched 'Lennart'.

The two magicks pierced the dark fire wall and threw Dorek back.

The villain stood up" Not bad, but let's see how you deal with this."

Dorek cast Ultima at the pair, which they barely managed to block with some defensive magick.

Adelle groaned" This guy's not fooling around."

" We need more power" said Luso.

" You're wasting your breath" said Dorek.

With that, he began to cast Ultima again, when a nearby voice shouted" Pyroclasm!"

A blast of firey magick threw Dorek backward. The man examined the grimoire which is now partly burned" Hmph, you managed to scratch the Dark Grimoire, but I will not be defeated by you before I can unleash the might of the Rift!"

With that, the man channeled more dark energy into his body and unleashed a strong vortex, which began to form a familiar fortress. Dorek shouted an incantation" Come forth, Shadow Fortress Pandramonium!"

Luso and Adelle staggered to their feet as Vaan and Penelo approached.

" Are you two all right?" said Vaan.

" Yeah, but Dorek was no pushover, even with the Starflare spell" said Luso.

Penelo sighed as she cast 'Curaga' on Luso and Adelle" There should still be time, we can probably still get him."

Luso nodded, turned his attention to Dorek and cast 'Stareflare' again.

Dorek smirked as the vortex started to spread through Rozarria and the spell nicked him" You're too late, the first phase in my plan is nigh on completion!"

" Oh, no! The entire landscape is transforming!" cried Penelo. The area in front of them started to darken.

" We failed" sighed Luso.

" Luso! Vaan! Get out of there!" shouted Frimelda.

Luso, Adelle, Vaan and Penelo ran as fast as they could towards the border fortress as the massive rift engulfed Rozarria. Clan Khamja in the meantime retreated in the direction on Rozarria itself.

In the fort, Cid spoke" What's the status?"

" Dorek has done something to Rozarria, a vortex is warping the landscape beyond recognition" said Luso.

" We must evacuate!" said Ashe.

Baltheir glanced at the warped countryside as the remaining Dalmascan and Archadian soldiers fled" I must say that I find his taste in evil fortresses most intriguing."

Fran shrugged" I agree, as unnatural as that rift is."

" Look" said Ashe, directing everyone's attention to Emperor Margrace, who was in bad shape and being carried by General Lucius.

" father!" gasped Al-Cid.

Emperor Margrace gasped" Never mind me, what's happened?"

Luso hesitated, then replied" Rozarria's finished, Dorek has summoned a shadow fortress, called it 'Pandramonium', now it is being engulfed."

" We must escape back to Dalmasca, we don't know if Jylland will be next" said Fran.

Cid growled in frustration" Khamja has stabbed us in the back for the last time!"

Frimelda sighed" It seems that way."

" Maybe we should have acted more quickly" said Al-Cid.

" Let's get out of here" said Larsa.

The heroes and their allies quickly boarded the air ships and raced out of Rozarria as the landscape warped itself into a giant shadowy mass that is beyond recognition.

On board the Galbana, Al-Cid watched over his father as the man fought to stay conscious.

" Al-Cid, I have failed our country (cough)" said Emperor Rozarria.

" You should try to save your strength, father" said Vanessa, who was also watching over him.

Emperor Rozarria sighed" Even so, I let us all fall into Khamja's trap. Al-Cid, Vanessa, I am proud of you for trying to defend Rozarria."

" There is still much to live for" said Vanessa as she administered some Hi-Potions.

" The black magick used on me was more then my body could endure, do not ever make my mistakes (cough)" wheezed Emperor Rozarria.

On the bridge, Luso was pondering what will happen now, he had almost stopped the Dark Grimoire, but underestimated Dorek.

Vaan glanced at the brunette" Feeling okay?"

Luso sighed" I wish I had been able to stop him, but now, it might be too late."

Adelle glanced at Luso, and to her regret, she slapped him.

" Huh?" murmered Luso, not bothering to retort and rubbing his cheek.

" What's gotten into you all of a sudden? You never gave up three years ago, you're not a failure! This isn't the end you know!" said the pink haired girl.

Luso sighed" Even so, how can we stop Dorek now?"

Vaan smiled" we'll find a way."

Mewt interjected" Your friends are right, Luso."

Luso thought for a bit, then said" You're right, moping around is not going to do anything."

" Now that's more like the Luso we all know and love" beamed Samantha.

Luso smiled" There is still next time I guess, and thanks. Though you are the last person I would expect to cheer me up, Adelle."

Adelle blushed" Ah, forget about it."

Llyud approached Vaan" We will be coming up on Rebenastre shortly."

Vaan nodded" Then we are home again."

Mewt transmitted a message to the _Leviathan_" So what's going to be our next move?"

Ashe replied through her ship's communication station" As soon as we rest up for tonight, we will meet in Rebenastre's royal palace, the ancient tome we gained from the other 'world' should give us a clue on how to counter the Dark Grimoire's magick."

Luso perked up even more" So there is still a way to stop Dorek and Khamja for good?"

Ashe nodded" Probably, though like I said, we will have to talk about it."

" We'll show Khamja who's boss eventually, so long as he does not succeed where Illua didn't" said Vaan.

Luso and Adelle flashed a brief smile at each other as the ship began to touch down in the Dalmasca Westersand. Clan Khamja had won for now, but Cid, Luso, Adelle and the rest of Clan Gully knew they would eventually face their enemy again for the last time.

* * *

That was a pretty long chapter, huh? Hope you readers enjoyed it. Sorry if it seemed kind of dark, but the next few chapters, especially the future epilogue, should make up for it.

No character deaths so far which should be good. Never know what can happen though, I don't know if all of my OCs should live or not. I know I have a sizable number of OCs so far, but I will have to think about what should happen next chapter.

Spoiler: Pandramonium would be similar to Final Fantasy II's Pandaemonium, only, It will probably be a 'Kefka's tower' Type location for this fic. If you don't know what I am talking about, Final Fantasy VI's final dungeon required multiple groups. Also, I purposely spelled 'Pandaemonium' differently, becuase it would otherwise be a crossover between Final Fantasy Tactics A2 and Final Fantasy II. I am just trying not to plagiarize

I might start running out of ideas for chapter names, I don't know if writing long stories does that to you or not. It might take me just a couple more weeks to finish this fic, depending on when or how often I update.

As always, please feel free to review.


	15. Taking Council

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy A2, Squaresoft copyrighted all Final Fantasy games, characters and locations. I'm kinda sick of posting these disclaimers for this fic, but it just seems necessary to do them.

* * *

Chapter 14: Taking Council

The following day after returning to Dalmasca, Ashe, Larsa, Vaan, Penelo, Fran, Baltheir, Cid, Luso, Adelle, Lezaford, Brenda, Al-Cid and Basch staged another meeting at the conference room in Rebenastre's royal palace.

Emperor Luther Margrace had been moved to a spare room where he was now bedridden. Vanessa and Empress Priscilla watched over their injured father and husband.

The rest of the heroes also took a break in the spare room, aside from the characters in the conference room.

" Yesterday was quite embarrassing" said Penelo.

Vaan shrugged" I agree with you, we almost had tranquilized Rozarria, but I guess Clan Khamja was behind it all along.

Lezaford spoke up" From what I have heard, the Starflare spell is indeed powerful, but to breach the shadows engulfing Rozarria requires the use of another power."

" Where could we find such magick?" said Luso.

" The information we require should be in the tome which was split between dimensions" added Lezaford.

Ashe was astonished" Really?"

Lezaford replied" Allow me to see it."

Ashe handed over the two halves of the ancient tome which she had kept close with her.

Flipping the pages on the second half of the tome, Lezaford addressed Ashe and the others" The ancient grimoire speaks of a tome which is the contrary of the Dark One, the Tome of Light, I believe it is called."

" The Tome of Light? What is that?" inquired Penelo.

" Even I do not know the secret of the Magick Grimoires entirely. All that is known is that the forbidden shrine north west of Dalmasca conceals powerful ancient magick, including the Grimoire of Light, sealed by a barrier which none could cross" said Lezaford.

" How come no one knew about it?" exclaimed Vaan.

Baltheir shrugged" Not even the _Strahl _or dare I say the _Galbana _with their enhanced capabilities can beach that magick barrier, Fran has not the power to dispel it. Even Rickken and his ilk steered clear of the shrine I believe."

Ashe addressed Lezaford" Is there a way to breach that barrier? If we can undo the spell our enemy cast on Rozarria, we can put an end to the danger."

" There are four magick Runes hidden which have the power to dispel the barrier when united. The Rune Crystals of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind lay hidden in select places throughout Ivalice" said Lezaford.

" Where should we find them?" said Vaan.

Lezaford replied" South West of here is the Rhoda Volcano, beyond that is the Fire Temple. Where the Earth Shrine, the Aqua Temple, and the Ancient Forest lay however, I do not know."

Larsa spoke up" There is a world map of Ivalice in my palace at Archadia, apparently the Occuria had built a secret treasury there before the palace was constructed on top of it. I have learned a little about it in my history lessons when I was younger."

" So our goal is to seek out the Rune Crystals, retrieve the Grimoire of Light, and put an end to the Dark Grimoire" said Basch.

" Who wrote the Dark and Light Grimoires anyway? And why?" grunted Cid.

Fran replied" I have read somewhere that the Occuria have created many powerful weapons, tomes and perhaps the two ancient demons of the Rift: Armageddon and Neukhia."

Adelle was puzzeled" But my clan mates and I destroyed Neukhia, didn't we Cid?"

" The world is a bigger place then we like to think, we defeated Neukhia that's for sure. But I can't say whether that blasted monster was truly destroyed or not" replied Cid.

" Anyway, we should ready ourselves and go about this mission, failure is not an option if both Ivalice and Luso's world are to be spared the upcoming tragedy" said Larsa.

Just then, Captain Vicks entered the room" Everyone! There's trouble!"

" Where?" spoke Ashe.

The soldier spoke" It's coming from the direction of Jylland!"

" Dorek must be getting serious" said Luso.

" I bet, after the thrashing we gave him earlier" said Adelle.

The group rushed outside to the Dalmasca Westersand and boarded the Galbana.

When they got to Jylland, it had been swallowed by the Rift.

" It's expanding" gasped Fran, horrified.

" I guess this is it" said Cid.

Just then, a flash of golden light emulated out of nowhere and halted all of time at Jylland.

Ashe was puzzled" Who did that?"

" It is I" said a voice.

A spiritual humanoid appeared before the heroes. Larsa was stunned" The Ouccria!"

Luso inquired" What's an Occuria?"

Penelo replied" The Occuria are the self proclaimed deities of Ivalice."

" That is correct, and it is I, Yeshua, leader of the Occuria" spoke the spirit.

" How is it you come before us? We broke free of you" said Ashe.

The spirit replied" Regrettably, our actions during Ivalice's birth were unjust for the most part and led to this. I have halted the pending destruction to preserve Ivalice and buy time, at the cost of my life energy."

Baltheir remarked" Huh, I rather disliked your kind a bit. If what you say just now is true, is this not reckless on your part?"

" A heretic I may be for doing this, but I cannot allow Ivalice to meet it's doom in such a manner. But enough of this, come forward, young warrior who walks the two dimensions" spoke Yeshua.

" Me?" gasped Luso.

Yeshua nodded" Take this blade, it was crafted for such a emergency."

A sword comprised of pure silver and a gold and black striped handle materialized in mid-air, brimming with magick.

Luso was astonished, even as he laid a hand on its handle.

" Why didn't you do it before when Illua almost opened the Rift?" piped Adelle.

" There was no need then. With the Sword of Light, and that which you seek: The Grimoire of Light, you shall prevail over darkness and seal up the rift once more" said Yeshua.

Vaan nodded" Well thanks, glad you were on our side this time."

Yeshua replied" Think nothing of it, young Sky Pirate. Now, I must return to my kind, I know you and your friends can stop this evil."

" Aren't you coming with us?" inquired Penelo.

The Occurian replied" No, if I were to interfere perhaps more then necessary, I would suffer the same fate as Venat. Good luck."

As the spirit vanished, Luso grasped the sword he received turned to his comrades" Looks like we have a job to do."

Adelle nodded then said" Guess you won't need the Soldier sword you bought at Jylland."

" The Ocuurian didn't say whether this is a permanent gift, we'll just store the older sword in our inventory bag" said Ashe.

" Let's head to Archadia then, we'll use the Galbana, if Llyud doesn't mind" said Vaan.

" We shall have to ask him" said Basch.

A bit later, on the Galbana, Vaan explained the situation to Llyud.

The red-winged Aegyl spoke" It is no trouble, I will gladly accompany you till the end."

" Don't forget about us" chirped Filo, who had just come aboard.

" Kytes? Filo? Are you sure you want to come?" piped Penelo.

Kytes nodded" Yeah, we'll get that madman for sure."

" Allow us to come too" said another voice.

Luso and Cid glanced as Frimelda, May, Mewt, Hurdy, Al-Cid, Samantha, Ryan, Brenda, Priscilla and Blair approached.

" Why do we suddenly have a crowd?" said Penelo.

" Do you have any objections?" countered Brenda.

Vaan shook his head, smiling" Not at all, we could always use the help. Ashe, what about our alliance?"

Ashe replied" They are merely taking a break, but we may need to team up again to defeat Khamja and the Rozarrian soldiers Dorek had hypnotized."

Luso smiled" Well, we have plenty of help now. Vaan, what do you think?"

" No trouble at all, there might still be room in the Galbana's Sky Saloon after all" said the younger male sky pirate.

Penelo nodded then turned to Llyud" Would you mind letting me use our old cafe? An army marches on it's stomach after all."

Llyud replied" Certainly, I left most of the ship's structures the way they were when you returned it to my people."

Penelo smiled then went to the cafe.

" Penelo's gonna have a hard time keeping up with all these mouths to feed" remarked Vaan.

May shrugged" I will lend her a hand."

Filo sighed" I'll say, though it has been so long since I last had some of Penelo's cooking."

Luso spoke up" Should I help out too Aunt May?"

May smiled at her nephew" You just concentrate on your part, Luso. Though it was sweet of you to ask."

As the heroes went to their stations on the Bridge and Sky Saloon areas of the Galbana, Vaan said" All aboard then?"

" Let's just go, our first stop is Archadia" said Ashe.

Vaan activated the Galbana and began to fly to Archadia.

On the bridge, Luso addressed Vaan" Is this the first time you flew this ship?"

" No, I am an excellent pilot, if I say so myself" shrugged Vaan as the ship neared Archadia, most of it's old crew back on board with several new members.

* * *

Well, that was a short filler chapter on my part. If anyone else is wondering, I got the 'fire, wind, water and earth' crystals idea from the first Final Fantasy game. Final Fantasy III and V also had something to do with those four elements.

Please feel free to review.


	16. Ancient Treasure

Mike AZ 2 here. I apologize to Teddypro or anyone else who caught that line at the top of my last chapter before I deleted that part. I like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, heck I have the movies and some video games that are associated with the trilogy, I didn't read the books much though. I'm just not as much of a fanatic.

I am aware that I was already forgiven that line by Teddypro, but I felt obligated to explain myself here.

Disclaimer: Squaresoft created and copyrighted FF Tactics A2 and FF12: Revenant Wings.

Anyway, here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 15: Ancient Treasure

The Galbana docked in the Private Airships hanger at Archades, the capital of the Archadian Empire. Just before landing, the group of heroes on board discussed what to do next in the Sky Saloon.

" So how do we go about our business here?" spoke Vaan.

Basch replied" Our destination is the Archadian imperial palace."

Ashe addressed Priscilla" I appreciate any aid that Rozzaria can provide at this point, but what of your husband?"

" His condition hasn't improved much, I left Vanessa and Xander to tend to him" said Priscilla, grimly.

" So what's this 'secret treasury' of Archades like?" spoke Vaan.

Larsa responded" It has never before been visited. Not even Sky Pirates are aware of it's existence because only members of the royal family of Archadia are ever informed of the secret chamber."

Basch spoke up" At any rate, we best take a small group, if the legends prove to be false however, then this would be a fool's errand."

" Your assumption would not necessarily be true, the mist hangs ever heavy in areas which have been kept secret for who know how long" said Fran.

" Other then Basch and myself, I would request aid from Queen Ashellia, Vaan, Penelo, Luso and Adelle for this investigation" said Larsa.

Vaan smiled" No problem."

Ashe nodded" We'll do what we can."

" What about the rest of us?" piped Filo.

" We will remain here" interjected Llyud.

Cid spoke to Luso and Adelle" Be careful out there you two."

Luso nodded" We'll do, Cid."

" Who do you think you're talking too? We'd never let you down" smirked Adelle.

Luso turned to his aunt" I know I keep worrying you, but I will return."

May replied" I still worry, but I know now that you can take care of yourself, Luso."

" Let us move out now" said Larsa.

The small group left the Archadian Aerodrome and left for the palace. Luso looked around the city as they walked" Is this town bigger then Rebenastre?"

Vaan nodded" I have only been here once, but Archades and the old town are quite large. Just stay close Luso, the last thing any one of us would want to do right now is having to spend all day trying to find a lost lamb."

" Hey, I'm good at remembering street names and stuff like that" said Luso.

An hour later, the group made their way to Archadia's imperial palace and into the throne room.

Larsa addressed his comrades" Sorry for the wait, but I had to check on things to ensure that chaos did not erupt in my absence."

" Not at all, we cannot ignore the state of affairs in Archadia" said Basch.

" What of the imperial senate?" inquired Ashe.

Larsa replied" They have been keeping quiet about the way I rule Archadia and have been looking after things. Right now we should head for the hidden treasury, it is hidden in the lower levels of this palace."

" At once" nodded Basch.

" Where is this hidden treasury?" inquired Adelle.

" It is supposedly within the lower levels of this palace" said Larsa.

The heroes traveled through the palace and went down several staircases until they came to a dimly lit room.

" What is this room?" said Ashe.

Larsa replied" It used to be a dungeon, but now it is used to house royal treasure."

Vaan glanced to a corner of the room" I see what you mean."

" Just don't even think of stealing anything all right?" said Penelo.

" I imagine the thnigs here are not worth much anyway" sighed Vaan.

Larsa proceeded to a wall then motioned to Vaan" There is some secret here, but I can't make it out myself, can you figure it out Vaan?"

Vaan inspected the area the young emperor indicated and noticed something out of place" Huh, this brick is darker then the others."

The sky pirate pressed a hand to the brick and caused the wall to move sideways and blend in with the wall to the left of it.

" A secret passage, I wonder where it leads" said Luso.

" We don't know, it's what we're here to investigate" said Basch.

" Gabranth, you and Vaan should take point with Luso, the rest of us will follow behind" said Larsa.

Basch nodded and the group moved through the newly opened secret passage.

The passage was long and led down even further below Archades.

" This tunnel gives me the creeps" remarked Adelle.

" I'll say" said Penelo.

" Based on the distance we traveled, we should be there soon" said Basch.

Eventually, the group came to a room with a rich green-blue aura emiiting from the walls.

Vaan was astonished" Wow."

" It's beautiful" breathed Penelo.

" The map should be in this hallowed chamber, let's split up" said Larsa.

" Wait! Look over there!" shouted Luso, pointing ahead.

The rest of the group turned in the direction Luso indicated and went over to where they came upon a treasure chest. On either side to the left or right of the chest was a black Ocurrian statue.

Vaan opened it and was amazed to find an ancient folded parchment. The amateur sky pirate retrieved it and read the seal" Looks like we found what we came here for."

" We should inspect it here, we don't know if there is really anything about the four crystal runes on it or not" said Larsa.

Vaan removed the seal on the parchment and unfolded it. On it was a detailed map of Ivalice.

Penelo looked over Vaan's shoulder at the map" Looks like it has four markings on it."

Vaan shrugged" No kidding, the emblems of fire, water, earth and air are on it. Not to mention that Rozarria, Dalmasca, Archadia, Nabradia and Jylland are on this map."

" What else is on there?" piped Luso.

" Apparently the Aqua temple is near here" said Vaan.

" We'll take the map with us, and now that you mention it, I saw another hidden passage left of here just now" said Penelo.

Vaan tucked the map into his pocket and went to inspect the area Penelo had mentioned.

Luso was puzzled" What's the secret here?"

Vaan replied" You're really into this aren't you?"

" I guess I am a little too curious for my own good" said Luso.

" Curiosity is no sin, but we should maintain caution" said Basch.

Vaan shrugged" Anyway, the symbols on that wall appear to be the same as the entrance to the passage which led us here."

Ashe spoke up" Vaan, why don't you let me carry the map?"

" Sure thing, Ashe" said Vaan, handing over the magicked world map.

" We should get some rest before we move on. Gabranth, you and Penelo notify the others on the Galbana" said Larsa.

The group took out their camp supplies while Basch and Penelo back to the Galbana to inform the rest of the team.

* * *

About an hour on the Galbana, Basch and Penelo spoke with the rest of the team.

Fran turned to Baltheir" Looks like the apprentice is now the master, what do you think of Vaan now?"

Baltheir shrugged" I don't keep apprentices, though I dare say that Vaan found quite a hidden treasure there."

May spoke with Penelo" So far while you were gone, I just realized that the day after tomorrow is Luso's birthday."

" Really?" spoke Penelo.

" Yes, I want to do something to reward him for the hard work he has done for the last three and a half years" said May.

" I don't know many families in Ivalice that celebrate birthdays, but I would recommend a feast" said Penelo.

Basch nodded his approval" That would certainly raise our morale and hearten our current team, but we'll need to discuss this with Queen Ashe, Lord Larsa, Al-Cid, Luso and Llyud."

May smiled" Thanks, I just wanted to let you know, course I barely know anyone here besides Mewt."

" I am neutral on the subject, but I agree" said Mewt.

Basch turned to Penelo" We should go back to the others at the hidden chamber."

Penelo nodded" Okay."

May spoke to Basch" Could you let Luso know?"

" I will, though I do not know if we can honor your request. It's improper to show special treatment at a time like this after all" said Basch.

With that, Basch and Penelo returned to the hidden chamber below Archadia's palace.

* * *

About time I completed another chapter. It's going to take me longer then I thought to complete this fic. I apologize if this filler chapter is boring, but the action may pick up again next chapter, can't make any promises though.

I don't think I can complete the fic by Christmas at this rate, oh well, this is what I get for guessing how many chapters this may take me.

Please feel free to review.


	17. The Water Rune Crystal

Hey there, another day and another chapter.

Disclaimer: Squaresoft copyrighted FFT A2. I had nothing to do with it.

* * *

Chapter 16: The Water Rune Crystal

The next day, Luso and his friends prepared to investigate the passage the led into the Aqua Temple.

Basch spoke to Ashe, Larsa and Luso" One of our allies made a personal request last night."

" What's it about?" said Luso.

The judge majister replied" Your aunt told me that your 'birthday', whatever that means, is coming up."

" Really? My aunt and I don't do it all the time, are we talking about the same woman?" said Luso.

" We'll talk more about this later, we still have business to attend to here" said Larsa.

Vaan spoke up" So how can there be treasure that sky pirates are unaware of?"

Penelo shrugged" Who knows?"

The group took the unexplored passage, which soon led to an underground cave.

Adelle looked around" Is there really a temple nearby?"

" Actually, the entrance to the temple would be at the end of this short cavern. I read about it once" said Larsa.

As the team crossed through the cavern, a white flan-shaped monster emerged from the shadows and cast a thunder spell at them.

Luso absorbed some of the damage with the blade the Occuria gave him earlier and said" There's a monster here?"

Adelle glanced at the direction the spell came from and said" This place reeks of secrets, don't let a monster or two throw you."

" Hey! That's a White Mousse!" shouted Penelo as the monster stalked towards the group.

" You know what that thing it?" asked Luso.

Vaan nodded grimly" Penelo and I fought one of these before, look out!"

Another spell knocked Penelo and Luso off balance.

Basch quickly cast a 'Shell' spell on his allies" Prepare to fight."

Ashe cast a fire spell at the monster and Vaan, Adelle and Luso plunged their blades at the White Mousse.

Irritated at the counter attack, the fiend attempted a counter spell, when Adelle blasted it with 'Lennart'.

" Foiled!" smirked Adelle as the White Mousse melted into thin air from the Heritor's magick.

" We should be cautious from now on, we don't know what else there is in this forsaken cave" said Basch.

" Yeah" said Penelo, who was casting heal spells on herself and her injured companions.

The heroes moved on through the cavern until they came across a bridge which led to a marble blue structure ahead of them.

Vaan inspected the cave and the area beneath the bridge" Hm, looks like it was just named for humor's sake."

" I'm not so sure, Vaan" said Penelo.

The heroes crossed the bridge and entered the marble building on the other side.

The interior of the building was a crystal clear blue, chunks of ice which contained water lined the walls, below the walls were small creeks of the blue substance.

" Beautiful, isn't it?" breathed Ashe.

" Yeah" said Penelo.

Vaan marched ahead a bit to inspect the general area, which was just an empty hallway leading to some stairs and walked back to his friends" It looks pretty safe here."

" We won't know until we get upstairs" said Penelo.

" Let's go" said Larsa.

The group went up to the second floor of the temple, which was similar to the one beneath it, only a small stream of water was in the middle of the room, which a bridge at the center of the stream. On the other side was a stone statue with a blue crystal embedded there.

" We found the target" said Vaan.

" All we have to do is cross the bridge, right?" piped Luso.

" I doubt it is simple" said Penelo.

Upon crossing the btidge, the heroes went over to the altar where the crystal laid.

" That's the water crystal?" inquired Adelle.

Luso took the crystal from the altar and inspected it. Sure enough, there was a rune inscribed on the ancient object.

" Something doesn't feel right, it just seems too easy" remarked Vaan.

" Sometimes things just work out, Vaan, not every mission has to be fraught with death defying battles you know!" said Penelo.

Just then, a reflection in the mirror which was behind the crystal glowed and watery images of Luso, Adelle, Ashe, Basch, Vaan and Penelo appeared, blocking the exit.

" It's a trap" groaned Vaan.

But that was not all, a crimson crystal appeared near the doppelgangers.

" I guess the Occuria set this up" said Penelo.

Luso charged at the doppelgangers, only to be blasted back by Dark Adelle.

Annoyed, Adelle blasted down her doppelganger with her 'Lennart' technique, only to have the shadow reemerge.

" How can we win this? It looks like they can regenerate" said Luso.

Vaan sighed" It has to the that Soul Crystal over there, the shadows should go away if we can destroy that. It has the power to rejuvenate unconcious fighters."

" What are we waiting for then? LENNART!" cried Adelle.

A barrier around the crimson soul crystal absorbed most of the spell's power as it hit.

The doppelgangers charged at the heroes.

" Ready yourselves! Get past the doppelgangers and destroy the soul crystal!" said Basch to his allies.

Vaan nodded as he, Luso, Adelle and Basch crossed blades with their doubles.

Ashe, Penelo and Larsa darted passed their clones with magick and made a run for the soul crystal.

But Larsa's doppelganger got in the way, so the young emperor drew his sword and parried as the monster made it's attack.

Penelo sighed" Ashe, do you think you can handle that crystal? Those doppelgangers are not stupid at all."

" Fat chance, my doppelganger spotted me" said Ashe as she dodged a bomb that Dark Ashe threw at her.

Vaan and Luso had just finished off their doppelgangers and glanced up ahead at the fight between Ashe and her double, while Penelo tried to distract hers.

" Luso, you go help Ashe while I try to break that crystal with my 'Pyroclasm'" said the sky pirate.

" Got it" said Luso as he ran towards the duelists near the soul crystal.

Basch eventually disarmed his doppelganger, while Adelle shot 'Lennart' at her double again.

Basch sighed" Adelle, you go on ahead, I'll rest here a bit."

" Getting old, Gabranth?" teased Penelo, who had just sent her doppelganger flying across the room with a thunder spell.

" Focus, we must finish this fast" said Basch.

" I hear you, Basch. Pyroclasm!" shouted Vaan as he launched his flare technique at the enemy soul crystal.

The barrier in the magicked crystal sagged as the force of the flare cracked it.

Seeing his chance after helping Ashe, Luso thrust his blade into the artifact.

The soul crystal shattered upom impact and the doppelgangers faded into thin air.

" W-we won, right?" gasped Adelle.

Ashe nodded" Yes, but we must assume that the other three Crystal Rune locations might have guardians as well."

Vaan shrugged" Well, at least we got one,"

" Shall we head back to the Galbana, then?" said Larsa.

The group healed themselves with magick and potions, and made the long walk back to the surface.

After checking in with the state of things in Archades, they returned to the airship, which is still docked in the Privae Airships hanger.

May was relieved to see her nephew" Welcome back."

Luso smiled" Thanks. Anyway, you said you wanted to do something tomorrow?"

" Your birthday is tomorrow, right?" said May.

Luso shrugged" Guess I completely forgot in all the commotion with Dorek, the Dark Grimoire, and Clan Khamja."

Mewt thought for a moment, then said" It shouldn't hurt to take a break and celebrate."

" Yeah, I could use a day off" said Luso.

" Where shall we rest, perchance?" spoke Larsa.

Adelle spoke up" I'd like to see a bit more of Luso's world."

Basch addressed the group" We may as well rest, but it might be the last time we can afford a day off since the Occuria can only buy us so much time."

Mewt handed the gate key to Luso" Some of us will remain on the Galbana while we land on the Dalmasca Estersand, we'll head back to your world to buy provisions and have a day off."

" Then I'll go with Aunt May back to our place" said Luso.

May smiled" Actually, there are things I need to do back home, but you're welcome to come with me."

Luso replied" Okay."

The brunette addressed Adelle, Ryan and Samantha" Want to come with us?"

" Sure thing" said Adelle.

Ryan and Samantha nodded.

The group headed for Luso's world soon disembarked at the Dalmasca Estersand upon traveling there. Luso was soon about to face his next challenges as a sixteen year old.

* * *

Sorry about the delay, but this chapter is finally complete. In case you haven't guessed, the next chapter will be another intermission chapter. Probably the last one, now that I think about it, but I'll have to see.

Oh, and I assumed that Luso was around age ten or twelve in Grimoire of the Rift, but I'm just guessing.

Please feel free to review.


	18. A Place to Rest

Mike AZ 2 here. Sorry for the delay, but I'll try to have this fic done sometime by the end of January or at the beginning of February. I can't make any promises though, I just update whenever I feel like it.

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters, games, locations, etc. are copyrighted and created by Square Enix, that goes for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift as well. I'm only writing this fic as a hobby and for entertainment.

Oh, and forgive my lack of creativity on this chapter title. Also, this chapter may be shorter then the previous ones. To those who don't know the drill yet, Horizontal Ruler lines will be periodically used to indicate change in a character's point of view.

* * *

Chapter 17: A Place to Rest

Luso, Adelle, Ryan, Samantha and May used the gate key to return to their world to do shopping and stuff.

In Luso's hometown, May spoke to her nephew" You can do some shopping and stuff with your friends as long as you don't go overboard if you'd like."

" We'll do, where should we meet back?" inquired Ryan.

May replied" Right here at the outskirts, I'm sure our new friends will be happy to celebrate with us back on the airship in Ivalice."

" What did you need to do back at our home?" piped Luso.

" It's a secret, have fun" smiled May.

Ryan addressed Luso" Samantha and I will be at the Library, have fun with your girlfriend, Luso."

" What? I Heard that!" exclaimed Adelle.

Luso sighed" Why do you two have to tease me like that? Back off, Ryan."

" He's right, besides, you know how scary girls can be when mad" interjected Samantha.

As the other pair went to the library, Adelle addressed Luso" So where will we go next?"

Luso replied" There's a small park at the center of my hometown, would you like to see it?"

" Sure thing" smiled the pink haired girl.

* * *

Back on the Galbana in Ivalice, Penelospoke with Vaan" Hey, Vaan, I just remembered. It's Starfruit season in the Giza Plains again, isn't it?"

" Now that you mention it, you want me to go get some?" replied Vaan.

" That would be great" said Penelo.

Vaan smiled" well then, let's head out to the plains."

Filo called" Hey, Vaan! Will it be okay for me and Kytes to come along for old times sake?"

" Sure thing, Filo" said Vaan.

" I shall also come, there might be a material in the Giza plains that have not been uncovered" said Llyud.

Vaan's group then proceeded to march out of the ship for a detour to the Giza Plains.

* * *

In Luso's hometown, Ryan and Samantha had gone to the library to do some reading, May went back to her house, while Luso and Adelle headed to a large green patch in the center of town with beautiful flowers and evergreen trees.

Adelle was amazed at the sight" It's beautiful."

" Yeah, my aunt and I used to come here sometimes on picnics when I was younger" said Luso.

" You're lucky, Luso. I have no memory of my family" said Adelle.

" What happened to them?" inquired her brunette friend.

Adelle shook her head" What's it to you? It was a long time ago, so I don't remember much. My mother was kind, but a little quiet, my dad died when I was little. I was ten years old when I lost my parents. Not that it was any of your business anyway."

" Same here, I don't remember my real parents, save for what my aunt told me" said Luso.

" Guess we have more in common then I thought" sighed Adelle.

The pair sat at the green field for several hours, enjoying each other's company, when Samantha came up" Hey, how are you two?"

" Huh? Oh, hey Samantha" said Luso.

" Just enjoying the scenery" sighed Adelle.

The black haired girl said" Luso, your aunt said she's ready to head back to the Galbana."

" All right then, did you and Ryan find anything new at the library?" inquired Luso.

" Nope" said Samantha.

Adelle piped up" Well, should we head back to the Galbana, than?"

* * *

That evening, on the Galbana, Luso's group returned to Ivalice from their errand in Luso's world.

Vaan's group earlier went to the Giza Plains to pick some Starfruit and brought it back to the Sky Saloon.

May had meanwhile picked up some gifts and helped Penelo prepare a small dinner and dessert for the night.

As Luso and Adelle boarded the Galbana and entered the Sky Saloon, they met the others there.

" Hey, I hope you're having a pleasant 'birthday', Luso" smiled Penelo.

" Yeah, I forgot that it was coming up with all the commotion, though" said Luso.

May smiled" I got you something, Luso."

She handed a small package to her nephew, who opened it to find a locket with a picture of May's family inside.

" Thanks" said Luso.

Adelle sighed" As much as I wanted to get you something, Luso, I didn't think about it since it would not be wise to get anything you can't take with you."

" It's all right" said the brunette.

" I prepare some Starfruit for tonight's meal" said Penelo.

" What's Starfruit?" inquired Luso.

Vaan interjected" It's a kind of fruit found in the Giza Plains."

May smiled" Sounds delicious. I actually prepared some cheesecake for the party, I wasn't sure what to do about dinner though."

" I already thought of it and bought some meat and vegetables in Rebanastre" said Mewt.

" Yeah, I did my best to make meatloaf with it while we were at it" said Penelo.

" Let's enjoy the evening then" said Ashe, who was standing nearby.

The party went on for an hour. The heroes enjoyed themselves.

When it came to the cake after everyone finished their Starfruit and Meatloaf, Penelo found it so good that she asked May for the recipe.

" It must be nice, being able to get together like this" sighed Adelle.

" I agree" said Vaan.

Penelo beamed" Well, is everyone enjoying my cooking so far tonight?"

" Yeah, I had no idea you were so good at it" said Luso.

Vaan shrugged" It was not so good when Penelo first started cooking though."

" I heard that!" said Penelo, exasperated.

Hurdy piped up" Hey, Luso, would you like to hear the song I had composed about your first adventure in Ivalice, Kupo?"

" You're a Musician?" inquired May.

" Part-time, Kupo" replied Hurdy.

Adelle smiled" I should like to hear that ballad again."

" Well, happy sixteenth, Luso" said Samantha.

Luso shrugged" Thanks, everyone."

Hurdy took out his harmonica and went to the back of the Saloon after inviting Penelo to accompany in song.

As the other heroes in the Sky Saloon watched as the song played, Luso spoke to Adelle" May I have this dance?"

Adelle, who was listening to the song with mixed feelings smiled" sure."

Soon as the song ended, May smiled" That was beautiful."

" Yeah, it was a little emotional, but that was in the past" said Penelo.

Hurdy shrugged" Anyway, I just decided to write another song about you, Luso. You're getting to be quite a legend, Kupo!"

Luso flushed" Well, I wasn't really that great, but I see what you mean."

" Anyway, we should clean up and get some rest for tomorrow" said Ashe.

" What's out destination this time, Vaan?" chirped Filo.

Vaan replied" I'm not the captain of the Galbana anymore, Filo. But it might be a good idea to check the areas surrounding Roda Volcano for the legendary Fire Temple, besides it's south-west from Rebenastre."

" I don't think it makes a difference in this ship, Vaan, it's even faster then the _Strahl_" said Kytes.

" Not necessarily, but we do not even know about the other two Rune Crystal locations yet" said Fran.

Al-Cid interjected" I will depart in the morning to seek possible information on the Earth and Wind Rune Crystals."

" Then we have a plan, let's go to bed after we clean up" said Ashe.

" I agree, tonight was a delightful break of course" said Larsa.

Penelo addressed the Archadian Emperor" What do you think of my cooking, Larsa?"

" It was excellent" said Larsa.

" I must admit, tonight has been quite fun" said Basch.

An hour later, the group went to bed, resting in preparation for the events to follow.

* * *

How was it? Short but sweet, right? I know this intermission chapter wasn't very satisfying, but the next chapter should be longer.

Anyway, it was about dang time I finished this chapter, the holidays were enjoyable though it was also busy. I just thought that it would be a downer to be doing a story like this on Christmas.

Please feel free to review.


	19. Trial By Fire

Another Chapter posted. Please remember, Square Enix copyrighted and created the Final Fantasy Series. The chapter title might look familliar to some, but it's not entirely my idea.

* * *

Chapter 18: Trial By Fire

The next morning after a rousing breakfast of leftover Starfruit, the team gathered in the airship's bridge to discuss their next plan.

" Okay, so we know the Temple of Fire is located somewhere past Roda Volcano" said Vaan.

Ashe nodded" The barren wasteland beyond that volcano was never explored, but if what the magick map reveals is true, then we must go there."

" I must bid you all farewell for now, I must go search for information" said Al-Cid.

" Where shall we meet you?" inquired Ashe.

" I suggest that we rendezvous at the Dalmasca Westersand once the Fire Rune Crystal is claimed" said Basch.

" Baltheir, myself, Filo and Blair will accompany you, will that be acceptable Al-Cid?" spoke Fran.

Al-Cid replied" That will be appreciated."

Blair spoke up" I wouldn't mind this plan, but what do you think mother?"

" Just be careful, this mission leaves us no room for doubt, Blair" said Priscilla.

" I will" said Blair.

Baltheir stood up" Well, shall we get going? Try not to die on me, Vaan."

" Who do you think you're talking to?" interjected the younger male sky pirate.

" Someone has to be the foil to our leading men" shrugged Baltheir.

As Al-Cid's group disembarked the ship to Rebanastre, Ashe spoke to the remaining team members" Like I said and as most of us experienced, the wastelands surrounding Roda Volcano are dangerous. We must not let our guard down."

Cid shrugged" I have faced worse."

" Let's get moving" said Basch.

Vaan headed for the airship bridge with Luso, Adelle, Penelo, and Kytes to fly the ship to their destination.

The group flew on southwest from the Dalmasca Estersand. Kytes spoke with Penelo and Vaan" So what treasure will we find this time?"

" Did you forget already that being a sky pirate is not just about finding treasure, Kytes?" said Vaan, not bothering to turn around.

" I am just wondering if there really is a temple beyond the Roda Volcano" said Kytes.

Penelo responded" We don't know for sure what do expect."

As the _Galbana _flew past the volcano, the group eventually came across a crimson cave connected to a three story building.

" Have you been here before, Vaan?" said Luso.

" Some treasures are a mystery even the most experienced sky pirates. So no, I can't say that I have" replied the male blond.

Adelle's eyes widened as she saw a fiery pillar surrounding the temple itself" Don't tell me we have to go in there!"

" One thing is for sure, we can't get too close" said Penelo.

Vaan landed the ship five feet from the temple and said" Let's go talk with Ashe about who should go retrieve the rune crystal, there is a cave right next to where the temple entrance ought to be."

Kytes sighed" Since when do we even have to not charge right in?"

" We can't afford to make silly mistakes in a serious mission, Dorek is even worse then Feolthanos was" admonished Penelo.

The group went into the Sky Saloon. Ashe inquired" How does it look?"

" The place is a furnace on the outside, but we spotted a cavern that should take us straight into the temple itself" said Penelo.

Ashe shrugged" Hardly a surprise, but to be safe, at least five or six of us should go in."

Luso piped up" No problem, are you up to it Adelle?"

" The place freaked me out a little bit, but I can't call myself a treasure hunter if I am always afraid of something" replied the pink haired girl.

" I'm coming as well, that just leaves two more" said Cid.

Kytes smirked" What about me?"

Vaan sighed" A black mage certainly helps, but we should probably include a healer for this team."

Brenda, who had kept silent till now, stood up" I will gladly fill that role."

" Is it really okay for the old Witch of the Fens to endanger herself like that?" inquired Adelle.

" Oh, how rude! I'm not that old yet!" exclaimed Brenda.

" What vocation do you employ?" inquired Ashe.

Brenda replied" I am an Alchemist, but I do know White Magick."

" I think I'll tag along" said Vaan.

Penelo spoke to Vaan" Please be careful."

" No worries there, Penelo" smiled Vaan.

The assigned group members left the ship and headed towards the Fire Temple.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Rebenastre, Al-Cid's team headed into the west side and made for the Sand Sea tavern.

" Do you think Tomaj will know something? It has been some time since I last saw him" inquired Filo.

" Possibly, but we'll have to check" said Al-Cid.

The group entered the tavern and eventually found a familiar brown haired man.

" Filo? Is that you?" said the man.

" Yep, it's been too long, Tomaj" said Filo.

Tomaj glanced at the others and said" I dare say I have quite the company here, are Vaan and Penelo doing okay?"

" Same as ever" replied Filo.

" So what brings you guys here?" inquired Tomaj.

Al-Cid interjected" This isn't a social call, I am Al-Cid, agent of Rozarria. My comrades on the Galbana are investigating old ruins to collect ancient, powerful treasure."

" Really? I thought something was up when I heard that Archadian and Rozarrian soldiers were recently joining up with the Dalmascans. And is my old ship really here?"

" It wasn't really our ship to begin with" reminded Filo.

" We are borrowing the _Galbana _once again, for darkness is upon us" said Baltheir.

Fran spoke up" Do you purchance know of the Earth Shrine or the Ancient Forest? We are conducting business in the regions near the Roda Volcano at present and plan to go to those two locations next."

Tomaj shrugged" I can only pass on what I hear. The Viera tribe would know something about that particular forest, as they are among the most ancient of Ivalice's races. That other place you mentioned, sorry but I don't have a clue."

" Do not trouble yourself, this information was more then we expected to hear from you" said Al-Cid.

" So I must once again consult with Jotes and Mjirn, they were not that pleased when last they saw me" sighed Fran.

Baltheir shrugged" You worry too much sometimes, Fran."

" I suppose this is it, then, farewell" said Al-Cid.

" Nice doing business with you" smiled Tomaj.

Al-Cid's group departed for the Westersand.

* * *

Thirty minutes earlier, Vaan's group had found themselves in the cave, walls of fire were on either side of them.

" Sheesh, this place feels hot!" griped Kytes.

" Do not touch the walls and we should reach the temple unscathed" said Brenda.

Vaan sighed" Maybe you should ditch your robes, Kytes."

" I'm okay, Vaan" said the young black mage.

The group soon came upon an open room with a door up ahead.

" Same as last time, huh?" remarked Adelle.

" Yeah, only last time we had to fight a monster" said Vaan.

Luso went over to the door, and opened it to find a foyer with dark, maroon and black walls and a staircase leading upwards.

" What's it look like in there?" chirped Kytes.

" There's no fire inside so far, but I wonder what could be up ahead" said the younger brunette.

" All right, stay alert everyone" said Vaan.

The team went from the first floor to the second, only to find a fiery maze

" Another puzzle, hm, those Occurians are sure either predictable or just stupid" said Adelle.

Cid grunted" I wouldn't be so sure."

" The solution is written on the wall to the left of here" said Brenda.

" So it seems, looks likes two of us have to go down these two central paths ahead to deactivate the flames by pressing the switches ahead" said Cid.

Luso piped up" I'm up for it."

" Count me in" said Adelle.

The pair pressed on into the fire maze, careful to avoid touching the fire walls.

But at the end, a salamander appeared near each switch.

Adelle coolly blasted her opponent with Lennart, while Luso toyed around a bit before casting Starflare, vaporizing the salamander.

As soon as Luso and Adelle deactivated the trap by activating two crystal switches, Cid spoke" Are you two okay?"

" Nearly got a little cooked, but I'm okay" said Luso.

" Same here" shrugged Adelle.

Vaan looked around before glancing ahead" Looks like there is only one way to proceed to the next area."

" We should ready ourselves once we ascend another floor, there might just as well be a guardian" said Brenda.

The group went into the next room and up another set of stairs. Once they got there, Brenda cast Cure on Luso and Adelle, then took an Ether to restore her magick.

Kytes glanced at the altar ahead of the room where they just came" There it is!"

" Don't get cocky, Kytes" warned Vaan.

" I sense a prescense, we must maintain caution here" said Brenda.

The group pressed onward until they came within a few feet of the Fire Rune Crystal.

Without warning, a surge of fiery magick materialized in thin air and took the form of a powerful Flare Wyrm.

" What the? That's the biggest monster we've seen yet!" exclaimed Vaan.

" Watch out! It comes!" cried Brenda.

The dragon unleashed a blast of fire at the group, which they barely dodged.

" That's the guardian of fire no doubt" grunted Cid.

" What are we waiting for then? Blizagga!" cried Kytes.

The ice spell pierced the fiery scales covering the beast's body. But annoyed at the discovery of it's weakness, the giant Wyrm threw a torrent of fire at the brown haired mage, which barely nicked him as he dodged.

Brenda addressed Luso" Luso, you, Adelle and Cid must create a distraction for me, my alchemy skills should weaken that demon enough to help finish it!"

" Let's do it" acknowledged Cid.

" Starflare!" "Lennart!" " Air Render!"

The spells tore at the wyrm's scales and wings, annoying it so much that it started to glow, preparing to unleash its ultimate technique.

Brenda took out two Ice Crystals from her pocket, used magick to customize them and unleashed a powerful Ice Bomb.

The Flare Wyrm had by then launched a powerful Fire Wall at the group, which the Ice Bomb pierced through and nicked the Wyrm's chest, cauing it to rear in agony.

Seeing a chance, Vaan leapt over the flames with wind magick and thrust his blade at the Flare Wyrm's heart, but not before the others got nicked by the fire.

Defeated, the Flare Wyrm faded into thin air and the fire magick died down.

" That was a close one" breathed Cid.

" Yeah" said Brenda, casting restorative magick on her injured allies.

Luso went over to the alter and took hold of the crimson crystal" Two down and two to go."

" Let's get back to the _Galbana _and go to the Dalmasca Westersand" said Cid.

The group left the temple and back to the airship.

There, Penelo gasped at Vaan's nearly charred boots" Are you all right, Vaan?"

" We ran into a pretty nasty Flare Wyrm in there, but we got the crystal" said Kytes.

" You're doing good, we'll store the Fire Rune crystal with the other one" said Ashe.

As soon as they were ready, the group made ready to head to the Dalmasca Westersand.

Luso breathed" The first time I joined Clan Gully, I never imagined how rough things were going to get."

" Me neither, considering our run ins with Khamja, Illua and Neukhia" said Adelle.

" We were separated for three years after Neukhia went down twice" said Luso.

Vaan, who was about to launch the ship again, said" I didn't really think I would be working with you again, Luso."

" Yeah, fate can be strange sometimes" said Luso.

Penelo interjected" Anyway, you two should get some rest before we land in the Westersand. Vaan and I will try to keep the ship going smoothly."

The younger pair smiled and went into the Sky Saloon.

* * *

How was it? I know this chapter was not much longer then the last, but it should still be good. I hope I'm not rushing, since some of the chapters are rather short.

By the way, did anyone catch my spur-of-the-moment refs to Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and the Atelier Iris series? The chapter title was actually borrowed from the title of a computer game called Atlantiis: Trial by Fire, or something like that.

The Fire Temple is a dungeon in Ocarina of Time, and 'Alchemist' is also a character class in the Atelier Iris series, except those were kind of different, so the Temple of Fire and the Alchemist character class were probably not really references to those two series.

As for this fic, the next couple chapters should finish the crystals segment, which was an idea inspired by Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy V.

Spoilers: The chapter after the next two should cover the 'Light Grimoire'. The final chapters will likely cover Khamja's ultimate defeat and Dorek's downfall. Can't make any promises here though, and if I revealed too much here, go ahead and tell me.

The Epilogue on the other hand, I'll have to do some thinking, such as what pairings to use and how the characters will all end up. I know that all of my OCs are pretty much still alive at this point, but I might drop some of them.

Please feel free to review.


	20. Mystery of the Ancient Forest

Mike AZ 2 here, Another Day and another chapter.

It feels unnecessary to post disclaimers on every chapter of the same fic. But this time for good measure, all Final Fantasy characters, games, locations etc. are created and copyrighted by Squaresoft.

Oh, and I forgot to mention throughout the story that I have been using _Italics _to indicate names of the various airships, oh well.

* * *

Chapter 19: Mystery of the Ancient Forest

The _Galbana _had landed on the Dalmasca Westersand and both Luso and Al-Cid's groups met again.

Cid acknowledged the Rozarrian prince" How were things on your part? We retrieved two Rune Crystals so far."

" I have paid a visit to the Tavern in Rebanastre and uncovered a small piece of information" replied Al-Cid.

Fran spoke" We must now head for Eruyt Village. Only a handful know of the Ancient Forest, and my people, the Viera, are among those few."

" If that's the case, do you know about the secret forest?" inquired Luso.

The Viera sky pirate replied" I was told very little about it, the elder of Eruyt village, Jotes, may know more then I do."

" Where is this village?" piped Adelle.

" It is deep in the Golmore Jungle, we must make haste" said Fran.

Vaan was puzzled" How will we even get them to tell us? Last we checked, they were not happy to see you for some reason."

" True, but this time they should listen to reason" replied Fran.

" The _Galbana _and the _Strahl _are both too big to land directly within the jungle, we should land the _Galbana _at one of the closest points to Golmore: The Paramina Rift" said Balthier.

" Then our destination is clear" said Cid.

Filo interjected as they boarded the airship again" What about the Earth Shrine?"

Vaan shook his head" I don't know, but Rikken might, if he had even supposedly been to the place where the Light Grimoire is."

" Balfonheim will be our destination after we uncover the mysteries of the hidden Ancient forest, then. Let's just hurry on to Eruyt" said Al-Cid.

Vaan launched the airship and piloted it to the Paramina Rift.

As soon as they landed, Ashe spoke with her allies" I will take command of the active team this time."

" Who will accompany you?" asked Larsa.

" Basch, Luso, Adelle, Fran, Baltheir, Vaan, Penelo, I ask you to accompany me" said Ashe.

Fran shrugged" Jotes may not be anymore pleased by my presence then last time, but I shall comply."

Ashe and her group disembarked and headed into Golmore.

A half hour minute later, the team made their way to the 'dead end' which concealed the path to Eruyt Village.

Fran traced the needed magick symbol in the air and the group proceeded down the revealed path.

Within the village, the group was greeted by Mjirn.

" Fran! What might you be doing back here?" inquired the other viera.

Fran replied" I must speak with Jotes."

" Though it has been over five years since last we met, I do not believe Jotes will want to see you" replied Mjirn.

" I must insist, for my companions and I intend to enter the Ancient Forest and retrieve the Wind Rune" said Fran.

Mjirn frowned, then said" We have heard from the mist that a grave shadow is looming above Ivalice, but no action has been taken. I suppose I have no choice."

" Thank you" said Fran.

Mjirn merely nodded then motioned for Fran and her companions to follow.

At the back of the village, the group came upon the other viera, among them was Jotes, who was currently gazing at the sky.

Mjirn spoke" Jotes, Fran has returned once again."

The viera leader didn't speak at first, but then murmured" The mist grows ever thicker, darkness is slowly, but surely beginning to engulf Ivalice."

Jotes then turned her attention to Fran" For what reason have you returned again?"

Fran replied" My companions and I wish to know more of the Ancient Forest. I have my reasons, but it is a long tale to tell."

Mjirn was astonished" You know what is occurring at this moment?"

" If I may speak, the forbidden Dark Grimoire's powers were unleashed, I seek the Grimoire of Light which can counter this darkness" interjected Ashe.

" Who might you be?" spoke Jotes.

Ashe replied" I am the Queen of Dalmasca, I believe we have met before."

Jotes sighed" You do not lie, very well, I'll tell you. It will take me some storytelling to explain, it is one of many secrets handed down through my people and the ancients, will you help me with this, Fran?"

Fran nodded" Before the grandfather, of the grandfathers of everyone alive in present day Ivalice, was born, legends tell of the two grimoires of Light and Darkness."

Jotes proceeded from there" The Occuria, deities of Ivalice, created the grimoires, four elemental runes crystals, and the barrier which holds Ivalice together, and binds the power of Armageddon."

" Sounds intriguing, but for whatever reason was the so-called Dark Grimoire created?" inquired Baltheir.

" According to legend, the Occuria once warred among themselves for power over Ivalice. In doing so, the ancient grimoires were created" said Mjirn.

Vaan raised an eyebrow" So what happened?"

" The Dark Grimoire was used create the Dark Fortress, Pandramoina, which embodies powerful, but terrible magick, but alas the demons of the Rift were also created as an unintended consequence." said Jotes.

Luso was surprised" You mean the 'Dieties' of Ivalice were the reason the Neukhia came about?"

" Do not trouble me with such trivials, your harsh words dull my ears. I was saying however, realizing the danger that the Dark Grimoire possesed, the of the Grimoire of Light was created. The Occuria used it's magick to seal away the Shadow Fortress, the demons, and the Grimoires" said Jotes.

Basch inquired" What of the Rune Crystals? What part do they play in all this?"

Jotes replied" The Grimoire of Light also carried powerful magick, so it too was sealed away, along with the Dark One. The four runes are the key, which brings you to your inquiry of the Wind Rune. In fact, the Occuria had hidden the crystals in four elemental locations."

" This all sounds pretty complicated" remarked Luso.

" I grow tired of this talk, we Viera do not normally associate with Humes. There is a hidden pathway in the Feywood, I shall send Mjirn to accompany you until you have reached the Forest where the Wind Rune Crystal lies."

Mjirn's eyes widened" I do not mean to protest, but why would you send me? If I remember, we Viera always follow the Green Word."

" You have left once before, Mjirn, so it is only fitting. I normally wouldn't do this, but it is my duty to protect this village and the wood which surrounds it" said Jotes.

" Thank you for your help, Jotes" said Fran.

Jotes shook her head" It is you I should thank, sister. I never knew about the terrible Dark Grimoire until you told me, but do not think you've redeemed yourself, you are still exiled from Eruyt."

The group bade farewell to the Viera leader, and left with Mjirn as their guide. The path to the Feywood was still crawling with monsters, but they were no more of an annoyance then mosquitoes to the seasoned heroes.

At the Feywood, Mjirn addressed Fran" The secret is hidden to the west."

" So the Feywood was really the Ancient Forest itself?" inquired Fran.

" This section was disguised, the Feywood is simply another name, the seal is just to the west" replied Mjirn.

The group carried on until they came upon a closed clearing with a green symbol.

" I cannot breach it with my power alone, will you assist me Fran?" spoke Mjirn.

Fran nodded and the two viera focused their magick, conjuring a powerful spell which caused the symbol to fade and the pathway opened.

" The alter is a couple miles within, beware the guardian" said Mjirn.

" Thank you for your assistance, sister" said Fran.

Penelo spoke up" Why don't you come with us?"

" I cannot, I've done what Jotes told me to, farewell" said Mjirn.

While Mjirn started to head back to Eruyt, Vaan, Luso and the rest of their group marched into the newly opened area of the Feywood.

As they pressed onward, Ashe took the time to speak to Baltheir" This has been a long quest for this crystal rune so far, go tell the others at the Galbana to fly the airship closer to the Feywood and land it near this spot. We need to hurry since we do not know how much more time the Occuria can afford us" said Ashe.

" A bequest that I shall honor, my lady" said Baltheir, motioning for Fran to follow.

Fran took a moment to speak to Ashe" Good luck."

" Is this a good idea, splitting up like this?" said Luso.

" We can't always remain in the same group" said Basch.

The remaining party members camped for the night after a small dinner of edible fungi which Penelo and Vaan foraged along the way, and went forward to the Alter, which was another few feet away.

As they got closer, a voice came out of nowhere" I was wondering when you'd show."

" Who's there? Show youself" said Basch.

A hume spellblade emerged from the wood, wearing a traditional paladin uniform.

" Who are you? Are you the guardian of this crystal?" asked Adelle.

The man shook his head" I disposed of the real guardian of this place, I am Zwei, one of the elite agents of Khamja."

" And I'm Ein" said another man, identical to his counterpart.

" Did Dorek send you?" asked Luso.

" Enough, Khamja's leader, Kelvax, sent us. Now you will see the might of Zwei and Ein!" shouted the enemy spellblade as he threw a wind spell at the group, which Bash barely managed to block with a Shell spell.

Vaan and Luso engaged in a deadly swordfight with Zwei, who had dual blades as his weapon.

Ashe, Basch and Adelle confronted Ein, while Penelo supported her allies with cure spells.

Ein launched Ultima at Basch and Adelle, who barely had the strength left to stand after the assault.

" So this is the power of Ein" gasped Adelle.

Ashe threw a bomb at Ein, who quickly grabbed it and tossed the explosive aside and countered with Flare.

Basch cast shell on himself, Adelle and Ashe, while the Heritor got back up.

" I've got news for you, Ein. I am a Heritor, LENNART!"

The powerful beam knocked Ein backwards.

Luso and Vaan ducked and weaved as they continued their swordfight against Zwei, but the spellblade was equal to them.

The young sky pirate was getting frustrated" Luso, I'll distract him, cast Starflare."

" That won't help you!" snarled Zwei as he charged.

Vaan blocked the dual blades with his own sword and dueled the spellblade solo, while Luso readied the powerful light magick.

Ein meanwhile had regained his footing" I grow weary of our little wizard's duel, Flare!"

Adelle dodged the spell, while Ashe threw a Comet spell dead set atEin's heart.

Before the other mage can react, the powerful comet claimed his life.

" What? EIN!" cried Zwei.

" Get over it" said Vaan, launching the duel blades out of the spellblade's hands with an upward thrust and jumping back just as Luso cast Starflare.

The force of the powerfull light magick brought Zwei to his knees, Basch coolly ended the spellblade's life with his own blade.

" Yes, Ein and Zwei are singing the blues" smirked Vaan.

" This is no time to joke around, let's get the crystal and get out of here" said Ashe.

Vaan went over to the alter and picked up the green colored rune crystal.

Penelo sighed" I hope Rikken will be of some help."

" We can persuade him" said Vaan.

" Hey!" yelled a voice as a brown haired mage ran up to them.

" Kytes, fancy meeting you here" smiled Vaan.

Kytes shrugged" I was sent by Larsa to inform you that the Galbana is here to pick you up, how was it?"

" We ran into a couple of Khamja's warriors. They had already finished off the guardian of the forest" said Penelo.

" Anyway, let's go" said Ashe.

The group made their way to the clearing where the Galbana just landed.

* * *

Back in Rozarria, Dorek had merged the shadow fort with Rozarria's capital palace. Kelvax approached him" Ein and Zwei have fallen, haven't they?"

" I would assume so, Luso is just as driven as I am" said the other man.

" Why do you give our enemy the advantage? Some of the possessed Rozarrians are starting to revolt" said Kelvax.

Dorek shrugged" I care not, my power can prevent all this."

Kelvax spoke up again" You knew of my hand in this didn't you?"

Dorek replied" The next time you act outside the terms of our contract, I will dispose you myself."

" I was merely helping you win this war, but I will do everything in my power to aid in this venture" said the dark knight.

* * *

Well, sorry for the cliffhanger, but it was getting late. In response to Teddypro's inquiry of Luso and Adelle's relationship, they will end up together, I am planning on it. But how I don't know, they are from different worlds after all.

I just realize that I have been using elements from not just Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings and Grimoire of the Rift, but FF XII as well. If anyone thinks this should be a crossover fic instead, please let me know.

Well, good night. Please feel free to review.


	21. The Earth Shrine

I have nothing to say in these notes right now, except a reminder that I had nothing to do with the development of the Final Fantasy series. Square copyrighted and created it.

* * *

Chapter 20: The Earth Shrine

Vaan, Luso and the rest of their company departed the Feywood and headed northwest towards Balfonheim in the _Galbana_.

" So how will we convince Rikken?" spoke Penelo.

Vaan replied" I already thought of it, but it shouldn't be difficult. Though to be honest, I do owe him some things."

" What do you owe this 'Rikken'?" inquired Luso.

" He challenged Vaan to a duel once and charged for it" said Kytes.

" What? I didn't think pirates did that to other pirates" said Luso.

Penelo sighed" Life as a Sky pirate is a very ruthless and dangerous path."

" Yeah, what she said. But being a pirate doesn't mean you have to be evil, it's about being free. Baltheir and I never hurt the innocent if it could be avoided" said Vaan.

" I'm still getting the hang of how things work in Ivalice , but everything here is not so realistic unlike my world" said May.

Vaan landed the ship in Balfonheim's Private Airships hanger and disembarked, accompanied by Penelo, Baltheir, Fran, Luso and Adelle.

Once there, the group went to look for Rikken at Reddas' old residence.

When they neared the gates of the manor, a voice said" Ahoy! Long time no see, Vaan!"

Vaan recognized the voice's owner when a familiar trio: A Bangaa and two humes approached" Rikken! Raz! Elza! Great to see you again!"

" Yeah, I never could forget you, so how's it going?" said the black haired pirate.

" Great, Peneloand I are on another quest. Do you know anything about the Earth Shrine?" inquired the blond.

Rikkenfrowned" Hunting legendary treasure are you? I happened upon an old legend myself but thought it was all poppycock. Well at least until I tried to raid the Forbidden Shrine several years ago."

Penelo sighed" Will you quit dodging the subject?"

Elza spoke up" Legends are just that, but far to the southeast of Balfonheim is an old ruin."

" Now that you mention it, I acquired a map from Archadia which revealed the general location of each hidden ruin. I can't tell you too much, because knowing you and Rikken, you two would've swiped the treasures for yourselves" said Vaan.

" Hmph! I see you're still an amateur. I'm no fool, those treasures are well guarded, I usually prefer little to no trouble" said Rikken.

Vaan smirked" So you do know something."

Rikken responded" So what if I did? I am a sky pirate after all."

Baltheir interjected" The treasure may yet be worth it, but we won't let you have it."

" If you insist on pestering me like that, I will challenge you Vaan" said Rikken.

" Wait! You can't have a duel here!" cried Luso.

Elza sighed at Rikken's antics and said" Rikken, you don't always have to be ruthless you know."

Rikken turned sharply to his crew" Did you say something?"

" We can do it later, but can you tell me anything else?" interjected Vaan.

Raz, who had been siilent till now, spoke" What else can we tell? It's not like we all believe that legend's real."

" I don't think we can get anymore information out of these three" sighed Penelo.

" I agree" said Adelle.

Rikken sighed" Well what more can I say? Now as we are talking, Vaan, I believe you owe me another two hundred gil."

Luso indignantly retorted" why should we have to pay? People usually get something in return when they use their money!"

" I see that you've got a sharp wit there, boy, but do not forget who you be dealing with right now" said Elza.

Vaan reached into his pocket and handed the gil over to Rikken" Well thanks a lot."

Elza nodded" It was good to see you again, Vaan."

As the group left, Adelle spoke to Luso" So why did you blow your top off like that, Luso?"

" I guess that guy just ticked me off a bit, is information really something that can be legitimately sold?" said the brunette.

Penelo addressed the pair" You're lucky Rikken isn't as cutthroat as he looks."

" That's just the way Sky Pirates typically are" said Fran.

Back on the _Galbana_, Vaan spoke to Ashe" We have a lead, apparently there is a ruin southeast of here."

" Then that's where we shall look" said the queen.

The group sailed their ship in the direction that Rikken had told Vaan.

Soon, they came upon a small island with a dome-like building.

" Could this be it?" wondered Adelle.

" Only one way to find out" said Vaan.

They landed the ship and went into the Sky Saloon to discuss who should go on this mission.

Mewt spoke up" I've been here for some time, as a scholar, I am curious as to what the shrine's like."

Samantha frowned" No offense, pops, but aren't you getting a bit old?"

" Age has nothing to do with it" said Basch.

" Perhaps you'd care to lead this time, Mewt?" inquired Ashe.

Mewt shook his head" Luso can lead, he's grown a lot since I last met him. I will simply accompany Luso."

May addressed Mewt" Might I have a chance to come along as well? I hate fighting, but I learnt a few white magick spells during our visit here in Ivalice that should help."

" So it's just the three of you, then?" asked Samantha.

Mewt smiled as his daughter" Of course not, you and Ryan can come if you wish."

" We will" said Ryan.

Adelle stood up" I think I shall go too."

The six left the airship and entered the ruin.

The inside was brown and green, like that of a forest.

" Such as dreary place" remarked Samantha.

Mewt interjected" Let's just get moving, but we do need to be careful about it."

The group carried on deep into the shrine until they came onto a pathway littered with avalanching boulders.

" I'd think I've been watching too much Indiana Jones if I had not known that Ivalice is a different world then Luso's and mine, not to mention that I haven't seen that series" said Ryan.

" This place is loaded with defense magick, let's try to find a way to stop the boulders" said Adelle.

Mewt spotted a doorway to the right and said" In here, quick!"

The group entered the side room and found a switch. Guarding it was a pair of Earth Wyrms.

" I hate those 'Occuria' already" groaned Samantha.

" I've got it covered, Starflare!" shouted Luso.

The spell obliterated one wyrm, but the other retaliated with petrifying breath, which Luso dodged.

Ryan quickly tossed a shuriken at the wyrm, causing it to rear in pain.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Mewt banished the wyrm with 'Holy' magick.

Luso pressed the switch and said" Does this do anything about the trap outside?"

" Let's find out" replied May.

The group went out, and sure enough, the holes which the boulders came out of were closed.

Luso shrugged" I guess this is it."

" Let's press on" said Mewt.

The team climbed some stairs that were up ahead to another floor.

There, an evil voice said" Intruders, didn't anticipate you'd make it this far."

" Who's there?" said Adelle.

A thin skeletal creature cloaked in black materialized from the shadows" I guard the Earth Altar which lays in the room ahead, but you'll not get the rune crystal so easily."

" Tell me, what are you?" said Luso, drawing his blade.

The creature spoke" The cursed Occurians created me. I used to be a hume, I am the Shadow Lich, my soul was put into this cursed body."

" Enough, foul creature! You cannot stop us!" said Mewt.

The Shadow Lich summoned a group of Zombies and said" Try me."

Luso and his team charged at the monsters.

The fight was tiring, the zombies kept on coming.

Luso was getting irritated" I had enough of this bad sci-fi, horror movie reject! Starflare!"

The spell blew away the zombies and blasted the Lich backward.

" This is not done yet, boy!" hissed the Shadow Lich, transforming into a humongous Earth Dragon.

Adelle flinched" No wonder Rikken stayed away from this place."

Samantha pulled out a grenade and tossed it at the monster, but it was blown out of the sky by the monster's fiery breath.

" Enough messing around, we've got to get serious ourselves" said Mewt.

Luso nodded" Let's get into formation."

Adelle and Samantha stood in the back with May, while Ryan, Luso and Mewt stood in front.

" That won't help you" laughed the monster, casting earth spells at the group.

The group dodged, but Mewt and May were nicked.

Ryan angrily tossed a shuriken at the Earth Dragon, which embedded itself into it's thick skin.

As the monster hissed in pain, Adelle and Luso cast their attack spells.

The Earth Dragon blasted more fire, causing the team to dodge more frequently.

" All we did is make it mad so far" said Luso.

Mewt sighed as May cast heal spells on herself and him" I'm getting tired of this, myself. Luso, while Adelle and Samantha distract it, strike at the heart!"

" Got it" said Luso, drawing his sword.

Adelle cast 'Lennart' and Samantha took out her blaster and shot at the demon.

The infuriated beast threw more fire at the two spellcasters while Luso rolled underneath the dragon and skewered the demon.

The monster cried out in pain as it was engulfed in a fiery pillar and became a tomb.

May exorcised it with a simple Cure spell.

" That did it" said Ryan.

" The crystal rune is just ahead" said Mewt.

Luso nodded and went to the next room with Adelle.

Inside was the altar with a brown rune gemstone.

" This is it" breathed Adelle.

Luso nodded and retrieved the rune crystal. The pair then left the room.

Outside, Mewt said" So we have all four then?"

" Yes" said Luso.

" Well, let's head back to the airship" chirped Adelle.

The group filed from the Shrine and returned to the _Galbana_.

* * *

At the Shadow Fortress, Dorek was in thought.

Kelvax entered the room and spoke with him" Clan Gully has probably found all four Rune Crystals by now."

" Never mind that, I have a trump card at my disposal. But for the heck of it, I had dispatched some of the posessed Rozarrian soldiers to Balfonheim a week ago. They are in for a nasty surprise" said the other man.

" But why bother? Surely with your power we can win this" inquired the dark knight.

Dorek replied" Preparations here require my full attention."

* * *

Back on the airship, the group made ready to depart for the Forbidden Shrine where the Grimoire of Light was said to be.

But along the way, Kytes called to Vaan" Hey! Look down below us!"

" What?" Vaan sharply turned the ship so that he could look out at Balfonheim.

" Rikken, Raz and Elza are in trouble" said Llyud.

" That town was originally a haven for Sky Pirates, they might be all right" shrugged Baltheir.

" Dorek is an insane fool" said Ryan.

Vaan quickly pulled the airship into the Private Hanger of Balfonheim and said" I don't know who is attacking, we have to protect the town."

" We still can't all go, some of us have to guard the airship" said Basch.

Vaan, Luso, Adelle, Penelo, Balthier, Fran, Ashe and Basch left the ship to protect Balfonheim.

There, Ashe was astronished" What are Rozarrian soldiers doing here?"

" Beats me, let's take them out" said Vaan.

The group defeated the enemies ahead and rushed to Rikken's place.

There, Rikken, Raz and Elza were combating a group of elite soldiers, but were losing.

" Doggoit! This is not my day" groaned Rikken.

" Need any backup?" shouted Vaan as his group approached.

" About time" said Raz.

The leader of the enemy group shrugged" You fools don't scare me, I am Jerveck! Elite Lieutenant of Rozarria!"

" These guys are definately under control" said Vaan, drawin his sword.

A sinister voice snarled" Forget about us?"

A group of Bangaa bounty hunters appeared.

Baltheir was not the least bit surprised" I was wondering what was keeping them."

" What are Ba'Gamnan and his gang doing here? We have not heard from them since Lemeres!" said Penelo.

Jerveck sneered" Ha! He was rotting in his cell when Dorek pressganged this headhunter and his gang. They are now slaves to darkness"

" Now that you mention it, those four have the exact same devices that Tomaj used on Ba'gamnan once" said Vaan.

" First Rozarrian Soldiers and now bounty hunters, this just got worse" said Baltheir.

" Baltheir! You are going down for sure this time!" snarled Ba'Gamnan.

Rikken stabbed Jerveck in the back" Never underestimate a sky pirate."

" Ack! Rikken, you... dirty... Rat!..."

The Rozarrian general fell dead.

" I guess that takes care of one problem" said Baltheir.

The group drew their weapons.

Ba'Gamnan sneered" There may not be another meeting next time."

Vaan turned to his team" Let's take care of this lizard once and for all!"

Ba'Gamnan drew his Ba'Gamsaw and charged alongside the rest of his gang Bawagi, Rinok and Gijuk.

While Rikken, Raz and Elza were helping Ashe and Basch mop of the rest of the Rozarrian soldiers in Balfonheim, Vaan and the others took on the bangaa headhunters.

Fran shot down Gjuk while Adelle and Luso dueled Rinok and Bawagi.

Vaan and Baltheir faced off against Ba'Gamnan.

The evil bounty hunter snarled" Now both Master and Apprentice shall fall once and for all."

" We'll see about that!" said Vaan, engaging Ba'Gamnan in a melee duel.

Baltheir took the opprotunity to fire a bullet at Ba'Gamnan's forehead, but the headhunter dodged" You'll not get me that easily."

Vaan launched a powerful Pyroclasm blast at the bangaa bounty hunter, singeing Ba'gamnan's scales.

The bounty hunter charged again only to clash his weapon against Basch's blade as the black clad judge and his group had recently finished off the Rozarrian soldiers that attacked Balfonheim.

" Judge Gabranth? It can't be!" said Ba'Gamnan.

" You are under arrest again" said Basch.

Ba'Gamnan snarled" You won't get me that easily!"

Nearby, Luso managed to knock off Bawagi, while Adelle finished off Rinok with a mighty 'Lennart' blast.

" Do you think we should help the others?" wondered the Heritor.

" You don't have to say anything about that" said Luso, heading over to where Vaan, Basch, Baltheir and Ashe were fighting Ba'Gamnan.

Vaan smiled at Luso" Perfect timing there."

Several more Sky Pirates suddenly entered the area.

" Those three worthless fools minions of mine weren't the only ones under my command" snarled Ba'Gamnan.

Vaan sighed" You just don't get it, do you?"

" Let's show 'em what we're made of" said Adelle.

" Pyroclasm!" "Lennart!" "Starflare!"

The enemy sky pirates were wiped out, while Ba'Gamnan staggered, weakened.

Baltheir smirked" Ready to give up?"

" N-never" gasped the bounty hunter, making one last final, but clumsy, lunge at his nemesis.

The brunette sky pirate coolly shot the headhunter, causing him to stumble and crash on the hard ground, cold.

Vaan breathed" That guy never gives up."

" Yeah" said Fran.

Rikken shrugged" Even so, his corpse only nets half the bounty, I think."

The group turned over Ba'Gamnan and Bawagi to the Balfonheim authorities after healing the injuries and gathered at the Aerodrome after burning the other two headhunters' bodies way outside of Balfonheim.

Ashe turned towards Rikken" I guess this is good bye again. I hope Balfonheim didn't suffer too much."

" All in a day's work, Reddas would've been ashamed if he saw all that. No one was hurt thanks to you. Now I ask if Elza, Raz and I can come with you for a while" said the dark haired pirate.

" What's the catch this time?" said Vaan.

Rikken shrugged" I may be a sky pirate like you, but in honor of Reddas' memory, I must ensure that Balfonheim forever remains peaceful. Besides, I have a bone to pick with this 'Dorek' guy. Getting greedy now won't do me good, I'll just put it on me tab."

Ashe smiled" Then welcome aboard, though this war won't last much longer."

" Regardless, I would be good to see a smile on everyone's faces once more" said Rikken.

Elza sighed" Well, can't turn back now."

Ashe shrugged" Well, we should head to Rebanastre to drop off a few of our allies before heading to the Forbidden Shrine."

Vaan nodded" Yeah, if we cram too many people on board the _Galbana_, it might fall from the sky."

Vaan's group and their new allies took off in their ship and headed for Rebanastre.

* * *

Quite a long chapter, huh? Sorry if any of the characters seemed OOC. The next chapter may be shorter, but I'll see. Oh, and before anyone goes flaming me for killing off any characters, well, I can't think of anything to say about it, I probably deserve it.

Please feel free to review.


	22. The Grimoire of Light

Okay, the next chapter is up and running. I hope you enjoy it Oh, and by the way, please remember that the Final Fantasy Series was created by Squaresoft.

* * *

Chapter 21: The Grimoire of Light

The heroes stopped at the Rebanastre Aerodrome to drop off some of the allies who wanted to leave the ship.

May sighed as she turned to her nephew" I stayed on this ship for too long, I need more fresh air."

" It's getting to me too" said Luso.

Cid shrugged" We can't force you to stay, but what will you do Luso?"

The brunette replied" I will stay here."

After saying good-bye, Mewt, May, and Cid left the ship along with Brenda, Lezaford and Priscilla.

Al-Cid spoke to Ashe" What of you, my lady?"

" I must see the Grimoire of Light for myself" said Ashe.

" Very well" shrugged the prince as he too left.

Vaan turned to Luso" Now that we have lightened the load a bit, shouldn't we be off?"

The remaining group members left Rebanastre on the airship and took off for the Forbidden Shrine.

" What do you think the shrine is like?" said Filo.

Llyud shrugged" We will not know until we can get there."

" Why is it called the Forbidden Shrine?" inquired Luso.

Penelo replied" It's probably just another name."

Eventually, the group piloted the airship towards a large, five story temple, with a pure, green barrier surrounding it.

Vaan was astonished" So that's the resting place of the legendary Grimoire of Light?"

Kytes entered the bridge" The Rune Crystals are resonating!"

" Really?" asked Vaan.

Kytes reached into his pocket and pulled out the four gems, which shone with ancient magick.

" Well, let's take that barrier down then" said Baltheir.

Vaan, Kytes, Luso and Adelle held the rune crystals up towards the window of the _Galbana_'s cockpit. The crystals launched a magick beam towards the barrier, which began to dissipate.

" It's working" breathed Penelo.

The barrier faded and the crystals' color dimmed.

" Looks like they served their purpose" said Fran.

" These artifacts would look good in the Dalmascan Royal Treasury" said Ashe.

Vaan steered the airship to the nearest possible location on the first floor and docked.

Luso spoke up" Guess it's up to me."

" I'm with you" said Adelle.

" Count me in, Kupo!" chirped Hurdy.

" Two wee ones and a moogle? Not enough I'd say" said Rikken.

Ashe addressed the dark haired sky pirate" So you're coming as well? I will accompany Luso and Adelle, too."

Basch sighed" We can't rely on Rikken's sky pirates much, I too will go."

Rikken shrugged" Fine by me."

Adelle shouted indignantly" You called me and Luso 'children' a moment ago!"

" Aye, but I was only comparing your age to me older self, lass" said Rikken.

Elza sighed" I will go too, Rikken. I do not wish for you to end up like Reddas."

Vaan spoke with Rikken" If something happens, I'll take it out on your gil."

Penelo sighed" Calm down, Vaan, but we'll go too."

The group left the airship and took the stairs into the shrine proper while the others stayed on board.

The sunlighted reflected a little on the marble walls on the shrine's interior.

" Quite a place" said Vaan.

" Elza and I will scout for treasure on each floor we visit while you search for whatever you're after" said Rikken.

The group headed onward, though little was found on the first floor as they made for the second.

The second floor was a T-Sector corridor, filled with monsters.

" That must be the main shrine" gasped Elza.

Rikken sighed" Don't act so weak, Elza."

" You two do what you want" interjected Ashe.

" Let's split up and try to meet at the end of this floor" said Vaan.

As they split into two groups, Elza, who chose to accompany Rikken, said" So what do you make of this treasure hunt?"

" Could be a wild goose chase, but we'll see" replied the black haired sky pirate.

The red head shrugged" As far fetched as the old legends are, I wonder sometimes."

" Save it for later, we've got company" said Rikken as a couple of White Bombs descended to attack.

Elza shot the bombs down with her bow, but the pair were accosted during their trek.

Meanwhile, Vaan's group ran into an Elder Wyrm near the stairs leading to the next floor.

Luso cringed" How many more giant wyrms do we have to fight?"

" Don't let your guard down" said Basch.

The group challenged the wyrm as it cast a devastating earthquake.

Annoyed, Hurdy pulled out his flute, which is imbued with magick, and played 'Soul Ettude to his allies.'

The team fellt refreshed by the song's spell, Luso and Adelle cast their spells at the Elder Wyrm.

The magicks barely peirced it's skin, though it was enough for Vaan to finish it off with 'Pyroclasm.'

" That was too easy" remarked Adelle.

Vaan shook his head" Somehow I doubt that was the true guardian of this shrine."

" Vaan! You all right?" shouted Rikken as he and Elza caught up with them, albeit bruised.

" Yeah" said Vaan.

" What happened to you?" exclaimed Penelo, who was casting healing spells on her allies.

Elza shrugged" We ran into some monsters on the other side of this corridor."

" Perhaps we had best stick together from now on" said Basch.

" Agreed" said Rikken.

The trek through the third floor was uneventful, save for a few tonberries which happened to guard the floor.

" What's with monsters and ruins anyway?" gasped Elza.

Ashe responded" I do not know, but I would assume that they are drawn to less then civilized locations."

" Floor four must be up ahead, let's keep moving" said Vaan.

Two more floors later, the team came across a startling sight. A soul crystal was blocking the way to the chamber ahead.

" I wonder what's going to happen next" said Luso.

Vaan approached the crystal" Maybe it's just me, but this has been too easy so far."

Penelo sighed" We don't always have to invite trouble, sometimes things just work out!"

But before anything else could be said or done, fiery magick blasted Vaan backwards.

" What on Ivalice is that?" cried Penelo.

" Where did Rikken and Elza go?" inquired Luso.

Adelle sighed" Who needs them? They just went to look for treasure back on the last floor."

Even as they spoke, the crystal began to mutate, soon becoming a giant crystal warrior.

" I suppose the Occuira created this one" said Penelo.

" It comes! Brace yourselves!" said Basch.

The Crystal Guardian drew it's massive blade and swung a powerful lunar blast at the team.

Vaan, Luso and Basch were thrown back.

" How are we supposed to fight it?" exclaimed Vaan, getting up.

" Look! There's something on the monster's Torso!" said Adelle.

Sure enough, at the center of it's chest, was a small white fragment.

" Let's take out that core!" shouted Vaan, launching 'Pyroclasm' at the Crystal Guardian.

But the fiery blow barely dented the crystal armor.

The Crystal Guardian, annoyed at the discovery of it's weakness, threw consecutive crescent waves at the group, which Basch barely managed to deflect with Shell.

Ashe tossed a bomb at the Crystal Guardian, but the monster backed away and threw a bolt from it's sensors.

Ashe teleported herself out of harm's way, only to have the monster zap Adelle's shoulder.

Luso furiously tossed a Starflare spell before tending to the injured Heritor and the queen" Are you two all right?"

" Yes, but this is a worthy foe" said Ashe.

" Save some for us!" shouted a voice as Rikken and Elza darted in.

" Rikken, Elza, did you find anything?" said Vaan, who fended off a vertical slash aimed at him with his sword: Anastasia.

Elza had drawn her bow" Let's talk later!" and fired an arrow at the Crystal Guardian.

The arrow got stuck between the plates of the armor, which only angered the monster so much that it once again launched a massive wave of Holy magick.

" Elza, the weak spot on the Crystal Guardian is the crystal on it's chest!" said Vaan, who was fighting off the monster's melee attacks while the others provided fire support.

Elza rolled her eyes" Now you tell me" sighed Elza, firing another arrow dead set at the white crystal.

The crystal cracked where the arrow pierced it.

" Just what I need, Stareflare!" shouted Luso.

The spell ripped through the white crystal on the Crystal Guardian, causing the monster to collapse and disintegrate into thin air.

Vaan turned to address Rikken and Elza" Thanks a bunch."

" You owe me fifty gil, Vaan" said Elza.

Rikken spoke up" The only treasures we found were mostly elixers, but it was a good experience."

" The Grimoire of Light is up ahead, let's go" said Ashe.

The group continued to the chamber that the monster was guarding, where they found an altar with an ancient tomb embedded.

" So this is part of the Occuria's treasure" breathed Rikken.

" Indeed" said Vaan.

Luso approached the tomb and took a hold of it.

Ashe, Penelo, Hurdy and Vaan also went to get a closer look at it.

Vaan was puzzled" Just looks like an ordinary book to me."

Just then, a dazzling light engulfed the group.

" What's happening?" cried Adelle.

Luso gasped as he saw his sword glow, imbued with powerful ancient magick.

Ashe was astonished" I feel it already."

Luso opened the Grimoire, out of which seeped energy of pure light.

Just then, the occurian they met back at the Dalmasca Westersand appeared" You have done well, Luso."

" Are you about to give us your next instructions?" inquired Adelle.

Yeshua replied" You assume correct, my life energy is nearly spent holding back the Darkness from Dalmasca, but I have served my purpose."

" What of the other Occuria? And why did you help us? As I understand it your people are very strict" said Ashe.

" Descendant of the Dynast King, you may have separated yourselves from my kind, but I soon will fade. As for the heretic Dorek, your foe is indeed not entirely himself, he is controlled by another entity" spoke the Occurian.

Luso was alarmed" Who would that be?"

Yeshua grimly replied" His soul is nearly consumed by Armageddon, that is all I know."

The Occurian started to fade" I have spent my energy, soon I shall join Venat in the void beyond. Soon, time will resume in Jylland, and only the magick contained in the Grimoire of Light can stop the Rift of Shadows."

Ashe bowed her head" Be at peace, ancient creator of Ivalice."

Meanwhile, the Grimoire of Light finished transferring it's power into Luso's sword of light.

" How did it go?" spoke Vaan.

Luso somberly replied" Great, although Dorek might die the same way Illua did, but the least I can do is put a stop to Armageddon."

Adelle shrugged" I know how it feels to lose a friend, Luso, like when you left Ivalice."

" That's fine and dandy, but what of the remaining treasure?" interjected Rikken.

" The Grimoire of Light was the treasure" said Ashe.

Elza put a hand on Rikken's shoulder" We can still go treasure hunting later, right Rikken?"

" I suppose, though I have no more intention on doing so until Balfonheim's future is ensured in honor of Reddas's memory" said Rikken.

Ashe nodded" We should head back to Rebanastre."

The group headed for the _Galbana _where they explained what has happened.

" Did you find anything?" asked Kytes.

Vaan nodded" Only one more thing remains to be done to save Ivalice."

" Let's go home and prepare for the final assault" said Ashe.

The group flew the ship to Rebanastre. But as soon as they got there, Al-Cid greeted Ashe" How was it?"

" We retrieved the Grimoire of Light, now we can put an end to Dorek and silence Khamja" said Vaan.

" How are things here?" frowned Frimelda.

" Where were you all this time, Frimelda?" asked Luso.

The blademaster replied" You didn't need me for the search for the crystals after all. All I could think of doing was training and thinking."

" I guess we sort of did take you for granted" said Vaan.

" Anyway, my father has recovered, we hope to reestablish ties between Dalmasca, Archadia and Rozarria" said Al-Cid.

Ashe smiled" That's good, but we have more pressing matters."

Luso continued" The Occurian Yeshua has sacrified his life energy to buy us time, but now I think we can stop Dorek and defeat Khamja."

" Splendid" said Al-Cid.

Ashe turned to her allies" We must rest up tonight at my palace, we will assemble early in the morning to discuss our strategy."

The group headed for the Dalmascan royal palace, where they met up with the others.

That night, in one of the spare quarters in Rebanastre's Royal Palace, Luso, Adelle and Cid were having a late discussion.

" So you leaving again, Luso? Or are you staying? I heard that you and Adelle were getting quite close."

Luso shrugged" Maybe I'll stay this time, besides, I thought of you as a big brother figure, and I liked Adelle a little."

Cid spoke up again" She was a bit torn up when you returned to your world. Not that I really care that much."

Adelle, who had been silent till now, said" Luso, if you decide to stay, maybe we could... oh, I don't know what I'm saying."

" I will think of something, but I probably won't settle down for another three years" said Luso.

Cid sighed" Just don't go breaking Adelle's heart again, Luso. And I am sure that I told you not to give your aunt anymore cause for concern."

" I'm old enough now to make my own choices, or should I say I'm nearly there, and man, I thought you two didn't like each other much" said Luso.

" Things change, as we all do. Now let's get some shut-eye, last thing I want is to lose any clan mates because they didn't get enough sleep" said Cid.

Luso smiled" Good night, Cid."

" Let's try and sleep well" said Adelle.

The trio went to sleep, not knowing that May was listening outside the door.

Mewt, who was also still awake, spoke" Is something up? It's getting a bit late."

May sighed" I knew that Luso would one day have to leave the house to live an independent life. But I never expected it to be this soon."

" If he wants to live here in Ivalice, I don't blame him. From what I understand, he met a girl that he likes" murmured Mewt.

" Yeah, Luso and Adelle seem to have good chemistry. Though apparently the first few days after their meeting was dramatic and full of obstacles, I'm going to miss him either way because he can't stay with me forever" said May.

Mewt shrugged" If he does decide to remain in this world, it's his decision. Oh, and I have a proposition to make."

" What's that?" inquired May.

Mewt calmly spoke" Perhaps we can go out after this is over, if you'd like."

May hesitated" I had my hands full with my nephew for so long that I don't know if I would be ready for another child."

" Well think about it, and let me know, good night" said Mewt.

" Good night" said May.

With that, the two retired to their rooms as well.

* * *

How was it? Turned out longer then I expected. Oh, and the Mewt/May and Rikken/Elza bits were just a couple of random pairings that kind of popped into my head.

I know that it doesn't say in Grimoire of the Rift that Luso doesn't have an uncle, but the game sort of implied that. Besides, I think Luso would have mentioned his uncle if he did have one.

Oh, and pardon any OOCness. I never played either of the first Final Fantasy Tactics games, but I assumed that Mewt was probably single. Oh, and the Filo/Llyud pairing will be included in the Epilogue, which would be after the next two chapters.

Also, I realized that I did not use some characters as much as I did the others, I guess that's what happens if you use a large cast of characters.

Please feel free to review.


	23. Confrontations at Rozarria

Mike AZ 2 here, the following chapter and the next one will be action-packed, though this chapter will get a bit of a slow start. Remember that additional horizontal lines indicate change in character/group point of view.

Disclaimers: I'm not too creative at this, but Squaresoft copyrighted all Final Fantasy games, characters, location etc.

* * *

Chapter 22: Confrontations at Rozarria

At dawn, Luso and his allies got up and went into the conference room after a rousing breakfast.

Ashe addressed her comrades" We know that our enemy is holed up in Rozarria, the closest point where we can strike is obviously Jylland."

Al-Cid nodded" You have a plan?"

The Dalmascan queen replied" Once we pierce through the shadows engulfing Rozarria, we will make for the Rozzarian Capital, using the eastern border fortress as a deployment point."

" So our entire force will be heading towards the Rozarrian Capital?" inquired Vanessa.

Larsa shook his head" That would not be wise, we don't know exactly how big Khamja is, or the number of possessed soldiers under their control for that matter."

Luso spoke up" How will we go about it? Are we gonna split into teams again?"

" We cannot formulate a plan until we get back to Rozarria" said Basch.

Ashe nodded" Let's ready ourselves and the Archadian/Dalmascan forces for the final battle and head for the Jylland/Rozarria border."

The next three hours were spent on preparation as the heroes made ready to attack the occupied country Rozarria.

They prepped their airships for takeoff as they set off for Rozarria once again.

Emperor Margrace, who joined up to help stop Dorekwithhisgeneral, Lucius, turned to his family who were with him on board the _Liviathan_" This may not be enough to redeem myself, but I am proud of my family."

Priscilla nodded" I am just glad to have you back."

" What will you do when this is over?" spoke Xander.

" I may abdicate, my carelessness allowed Khamja to exploit my distrust of Archadia" replied the Rozarrian emperor.

Al-Cid thought for a moment, then said" I cannot be sure whether or not I would be ready to bear the burden of rule."

Emperor Margrace replied" You're an even wiser man then I am, Al-Cid. I just wasn't very strong-willed."

Soon, the heroes landed their airship near Rozarria's East Border fortress, which is engulfed in a purple shadowy void, which soon started to expand.

Vaan sighed" We barely made it."

Ashe shrugged" We have to hurry, use your new power Luso."

The younger brunette nodded as he drew his blade, from which the Power of Light glowed upon the blade.

" This is the Grimoire of Light's power?" wondered Penelo.

Luso vertically slashed his sword towards the ground, sending a magick beam of light upon the shadows.

The dark barrier dissipated into thin air as the spell generated from the Dark Grimoire was halted.

" Amazing" gasped Vaan.

Adelle smirked" Nothing can stop us now."

Ashe turned toward Al-Cid" Do you know of the defenses around the Rozarrian Capital?"

The agent replied" The place may be twisted now, but Khamja and the elite Rozarrian 20th battalion will likely be at the capital."

Larsa spoke up" The battle outside the Rozarrian Palace should be a diversion on our part, then. I will have the Archadian air force intercept any hostile airships."

" A well-conceived plan, but how shall we deal with the Shadow Fortress?" inquired Baltheir.

" The mist grows thicker at this point, the source of the evil magick likely lies at the center of this country" interjected Fran.

Luso's eyes widened" Does that mean we have to fight the entirety of Khamja's remnants and Rozarria's 20th battalion?"

" Let's just move our airships closer to the capital and liberate outlying villages if possible" said Larsa.

* * *

On board the Shadow Fortress Pandramonium, Dorek smirked" Couldn't be any more perfect, now Archadia, Jylland and Dalmasca shall fall."

Kelvax spoke up" One of my spies spotted the allied army at the Eastern Fortress, they are moving in to attack."

The other man replied" Ready your group and the possessed Rozarrian soldiers for battle at the Courtyard of Rozarria's, You will take charge of them."

" But why do you split our forces now? With your power, victory is surely ours" frowned the dark knight.

" The very power of the Dark Grimoireafflicts my soul, which was broken more when this fortress merged with the Rozarrian palace" said Dorek.

Kelvax hesitated, then said" Very well, I shall carry on. But what of the legendary demon Armageddon? What do you plan to do about that?"

Dorek responded coolly" It matters not, so long as I attain immortality, but not before I destroy Luso."

" I will do everything in my power to see our contract through" said the Dark Knight.

* * *

An hour later, the heroes marched on until they came upon a startling sight. The Shadow Fortress was Hovering above the Imperial Palace, the two buildings were linked with a shadowy ladder.

" This is what has become of my home?" gasped Blair.

" That's part of the Dark Grimoire's curse no less" said Brenda.

Ashe thought for a moment before turning to her allies" Here's what we're going to do. Our main allied forces will draw out Khamja and as many possessed Rozarrian troops as possible. A Subjugation team will infilterate Rozarria's palace to attack the Shadow Fortress itself to put an end to Dorek's ambitions and the Dark Grimoire. Obviously, Luso should be on this team."

Luso replied" You can count on us your highness."

" Count me in as well!" chimed Adelle.

Cid nodded" I'm coming as well, is there anyone else you have in mind for the Subjugation team you want to add your highness?"

Vaan spoke up" I want a piece of this action myself, you ready for this Penelo?"

" You don't have to ask" replied the female blond pirate.

Ashe continued" I will personally command this group. I will also enlist Baltheir, Fran and Frimelda."

" It may be even more dangerous then anything else that we've been through" protested Basch.

" I will not simply stand by and watchothers put their lives on the line" persisted the Dalmascan queen.

Larsa interjected" I can see that you will not be dissuaded from putting yourself in danger, Lady Ashe. Gabranth, you should accompany them as well."

Basch nodded" I will comply, but what of the main forces and yourself, your excellency?"

" I shall come on this team as well. Judge Zargabaath is leading the air assault, while Al-Cid, Emperor Margrace, Captain Gareth and General Lucius will be directing the main army" said the emperor.

" Then it's settled" said Basch.

Rikken shrugged" Fine by me, I suppose. Vaan, Luso, give Dorek one for me will you?"

Vaan nodded" We'll do."

* * *

As Luso's group boarded the Galbana in an attempt to infiltrate the Rozarrian palace, the rest of Clan Gully, accompanied by Dalmascan/Archadian soldiers, the members of House Bowen and Prima Donna, and the Aegyls of the now disintegrated continent of Lemures, went to meet their quarry within the courtyard of the palace.

" Shouldn't we have gone with Vaan, Filo?" spoke Kytes.

Filo shook her head" Nah, he'll be fine. Besides, we don't really have time to be worried."

Llyud spoke up" She's right, Kytes. Vaan won't die easily."

Outside the gates leading to the interior of Rozarria's palace, Kelvax was rallying his gang and the brainwashed soldiers" Do what you must, but don't bother trying to kill them all."

One of Khamja's other agents spoke up" What if we fail?"

" Dorek cares not whether we win or not, we just need to stall that army" replied the Dark Knight.

Just then, one of Khamja's seers approached" An airship is attacking the nearby hanger inside the palace!"

" Clan Gully is very persistent, I shall await them within the Shadow Fortress. Have some of the guard engage them" commanded Kelvax.

* * *

The main forces drew closer to the gates of Rozarria Palace, which opened before them.

" Is it a trap?" gasped Filo.

" We must proceed with caution" said Al-Cid.

Soon, one of Khamja's leaders, a hume Ninja Master named Kryan, spotted them" Hm, is this pathetic rabble the best that you can dish up?"

Emperor Margrace steppedforward" We did not come to waste words with the likes of you. I should have known better then to allow myself to be manipulated, Clan Khamja shall fall on this day and my kingdom shall once again spread justice!"

" Kryan smirked" That won't be as easy as you think."

With that, the two armies charged at each other.

" Let's show 'em whose boss!" cried Filo from on top her Skybandit.

Kytes smiled" Watch this."

The young mage shot a torrent of fire, water, earth and thunder spells at the oncoming enemy soldiers.

Seeing Kytesasathreat, an enemy paladin began to charge, only to be intercepted by Rodrick" You won't get away with your aggression against Jylland easily!"

Al-Cid shot down several of Khamja's agents before getting beset upon by several gunners.

" You're just a bunch of cowards, punks!" shouted Vanessa as she rushed to her brother's aid.

Kryan took the opportunity to launch a mighty area of effect spell on the opposing army, hitting Emperor Margrace and General Lucius the hardest.

Seeing this, Filo launched her Skybandit at Khamja's general, only to be knocked down by Thunder.

While Anthony and Bremah rushed to her aid, Llyud moved to engage Kryan.

One of Khamja's ninjas launched a fiery Shuriken at Al-Cid, which was intercepted by Emperor Margrace.

" Father!" shouted Vanessa.

Emperor Margrace gasped as fire pierced his body" I have no regrets... House Margrace shall prevail."

Al-Cid furiously shot down the enemy ninja and rushed to his father's body.

Priscilla and Blair also hurried over after cutting down several possessed Imperial Soldiers.

Elsewhere, General Lucius threw his lance at Kryan, striking the enemy general in the heart while he was distracted by a thunder spell, courtesy of Kytes. The proud Rozarrian general then collaspsed, dead.

The death of two of their leaders hit the liberation forces hard, but they continued to fight on. Even Khamja and the Imperial 20th battalion showed no sign of hesitation with Kryan's death.

" I hope Vaan's okay" sighed Filo.

Llyud put a hand on her shoulder" We must continue to believe in our comrades."

" You're right, Llyud" said Filo.

* * *

Inside the upper floors of the Rozarrian Palace, Luso's group managed to get in and defeat several Agents of Khamja who were lurking in the shadows.

At the top, they saw a purple ladder leading to Pandramonium.

" This is it, no turning back now" said Ashe.

" I agree, it's on to the finale" remarked Baltheir.

Fran nodded" Ready for this, Luso?"

Luso nodded" Yeah."

Within the foyer, they saw three pathways, each leading upstairs.

Basch spoke to Ashe" We may need to split up."

" I agree, Cid should lead a team, I will lead a team, and Larsa should lead a team" said the Dalmascan queen.

Luso and Adelle went over to Cid's side. Baltheir, Frimelda and Fran joined Ashe. Vaan and Penelo immediately joined Larsa and Basch.

" Don't anyone go dying on me" said Cid.

" This place is absolutely different then before" murmured Fran.

Baltheir shrugged" Shall we continue?"

The three teams set off down the different paths leading to the upper levels of Pandramonium.

* * *

Back in the Rozzarian Palace Courtyard, Clan Khamja and the possessed Rozarrian soldiers were almost eradicated, albeit at the cost of several squads of Archadian and Dalmascan soldiers.

" Clan Khamja was truly formidable" gasped Llyud.

Filo shrugged as she landed her Skybandit" Shame Vaan had to miss this."

" It's his choice" reminded Llyud.

In the middle of the battlefield, Al-Cid, Priscilla, Vanessa and Blair were at Emperor Margrace's side.

" So in the end, House Margrace has suffered a terrible blow" said Al-Cid.

Emperor Margrace smiled weakly" I'm just glad that my family is together... again."

" Save your strength, I won't let you die" said Vanessa, administering a X-Potion to her injured father.

" Why did you save me twice?" gasped Emperor Margrace.

Al-Cid smiled" I would do anything for my friends, and my family."

Blair breathed" So now what?"

" Vaan's team hasn't emerged yet" said Llyud.

" All we can do for his team is pray" said Priscilla.

Rikken shrugged" Aye, he has survived at lot from what I heard tell."

The victorious army cleaned up, buried the dead and went about cleaning up the palace while waiting for Luso and Vaan's team.

While in the Shadow Fortress Pandramonium, Luso and his team were about to confront Dorek and Kelvax for the last time.

* * *

Finally got another chapter up and running. I don't like violence that much, so the action scenes probably don't have as much information as you readers and reviewers would like.

Two more chapters to go, I should have this finished tomorrow, but I'll see.

Please feel free to review.


	24. Between Light and Darkness

Another day and Another Chapter. As a reminder, the Horizontal Ruler Lines will periodically indicate change in a character's point of view.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy was created and copyrighted by Squaresoft.

* * *

Chapter 23: Between Light and Darkness

In the Shadow Fortress, Pandramonium, all three groups encountered no resistance on the lower floors.

" Something's not right" sighed Luso.

" No kidding" said Adelle.

" Just stay alert" said Cid.

Meanwhile, Larsa's group encountered a pair of behemoths.

Whereas Ashe's group stumbled upon a Elder Wyrm

" What is with this place?" said Frimelda.

" Must be our enemy's handiwork" shrugged Baltheir.

" Let's take them on" said Ashe.

* * *

Vaan, Larsa and Basch drew their blades as they confronted the two behemoths at their location in the shadow fortress.

" This keeps getting from bad to worse" sighed Penelo.

Vaan cast a 'Pyroclasm' spell at one behemoth, wiping it out almost effortlessly.

The other Behemoth was a worthy opponent for Basch and Larsa. It's hide was thick and the attacks were rough.

Eventually the monster was taken down, Penelo cast healing magick on her allies.

" We must be getting closer to the top" said Basch.

Penelo sighed" Do you think the others are okay?"

Vaan replied" You worry too much sometimes, Penelo."

" You don't worry enough!" retorted the female blond as they moved on.

* * *

Baltheir, Ashe and Fran provided fire support while Frimelda charged at Elder Wyrm directly.

The Elder Wyrm spat a magick beam in retaliation, which the group dodged.

Ashe immediately cast 'Comet' on the monster, causing it to rear back in pain long enough for Frimelda to stab it in the heart.

As the Elder Wyrm faded into thin air, Baltheir remarked" Pity, is this all our enemy can conjure?"

" My swordsmanship is as top notch as I try to keep it. Though I'm not sure how I'd fare in the upcoming battle" sighed Frimelda.

Ashe sighed" No one is perfect, now let's move on while we're able."

Fran nodded" Agreed."

* * *

At the top floor of the fortress, Luso's group emerged from the central passageways into the main keep.

" Where are the others?" inquired Adelle.

Cid replied" They should be fine, but one never knows what may happen in a place like this."

In a large chamber on the top floor, Luso's group came upon the Dark Knight, Kelvax.

" I see you didn't learn from last time" said Cid.

The Dark Knight replied" Khamja may or may not have been foiled for the last time, but I will not lose to the likes of Clan Gully!"

Luso shrugged" I imagine that most of Khamja is being mopped up by the Archadian/Dalmascan allied army, though I never heard of you."

" You and Cid may have been lucky to have defeated my sister, Illua and the Assassin Ewan. But on my honor, I shall avenge them and destroy Clan Gully!" snarled Kelvax, drawing his blade.

" So he's that witch's brother?" gasped Adelle.

" No time for questions, let's move!" shouted Cid, drawing his own sword and crossing blades with Kelvax.

But after a minute of the duel, Kelvax zapped Cid with a weak thunder spell, knocking him back.

Luso handed Cid a potion while Adelle cast 'Lennart' on the dark knight.

Kelvax was barely fazed, so he retaliated with a Crescent Blast from his dark blade.

" Giving up?" he sneered as the blast knocked Luso and Adelle off their feet.

Just then, a curaga spell healed the injured heroes as Vaan's group entered the room.

" Are you guys okay?" asked Penelo.

Vaan had just cast 'Pyroclasm' at Kelvax with a remark" What is it, this time? That guy's not so tough."

" Don't be so sure" came the dark knight's voice as he attempted to skewer Vaan him.

The blond Sky Pirate rolled out of the way, just as a Tidal Waveseemingly launched itself at Kelvax, knocking him down flat.

" Vaan! Luso!" cried Frimelda as Ashe's group caught up.

" Get all the help you want! That won't help you!" shouted Kelvax, readying another Crescent Blast.

" We shall see about that" said Basch, focusing his inner magick energy into his ultimate technique: Apocalypse Shield.

The Dark Knight launched his technique, only to have it blocked by the Apocalypse Shield.

" Baltheir, use your Element of Treachery Quickening one more time" said Cid.

" I shall comply" shrugged the elder hume sky pirate, casting another Quickening spell.

Kelvax leaped over the spell's waves and dove at Cid with his blade pointing downward, only to be intercepted by 'Pyroclasm'.

The Dark Knight was knocked back, but then he cast Dark Blast at Luso.

The young hero drew his blade and blocked some of the damage, but not without getting a scratch on his chest.

" He's getting desparate, use 'Pyroclasm' again Vaan!" said Larsa, who administrated a Hi-Potion to the injured brunette.

" Got it, Lamont" smirked Vaan, throwing another Pyroclasm at Kelvax while Luso cast Starflare.

The Dark Knight Kelvax collaspsed under the massive pressure of the two spells.

" How... Could... I have been defeated?" gasped Kelvax.

Basch responded" You may have been a worthy opponent, but what one person can do, many are capable of so much more."

Cid spoke up as well" We cannot give you back your sister or your life, Kelvax. May the both of you rest in peace."

Kelvax shrugged" You're a better man... Cid. Dorek is in Pandramonium's alter of darkness in the next room... But he is on a different level."

Luso was puzzled" Why did you tell us just now?"

" Khamja too had some degree of honor... but only a margin compared to other clans. Farewell, Luso Clemens, my regards to the rest of Clan Gully" gasped Kelvax.

Ashe sighed as the dark knight lay still on the ground with his eyes closed" We're just about there, Penelo, mind using your magick dance? We may need it to defeat Dorek"

Penelo nodded then tapped into her inner magick, and danced as she cast her ultimate healing technique on her allies.

Cid turned to Luso and Adelle" The final battle is upon us."

" Yeah, let's go stop Dorek" said Vaan.

The group walked past Kelvax's corpse and proceeded into the chamber beyond.

* * *

The chamber with the alter was a large circular room lined with dark windows. Within, the man behind the war against Rozarria stood in front of a stone pillar at the back.

Dorek didn't bother at first to turn around as he heard the door open, Luso and his friends entered the room.

" Dorek!" shouted the young brunette.

" You are a bit late my old friend, though if you're here, it means that Kelvax is dead and Khamja has fallen, I presume" said the other man.

Luso was astonished" You know that knight back there?"

Dorek turned around" Yes, he was one of Khamja's elite warriors, and was also their leader. I formed a contract with him to trick Rozarria and conquer it."

" Either way, your ambitions have failed, I recommend that you surrender peacefully" interjected Basch.

Dorek snorted" Not a chance. Oh, and Luso, you never did meet the brightest or best of friends in our world or Ivalice, did you?"

Luso snapped" That's enough! I thought of you as a friend since our pre-school years, and for what? If you smash Ivalice you might also smash the real world!"

The brunette's ex-friend shrugged" Deep down within the pranks we pulled together in our youth, and our relationship with Ryan and Samantha, I thought of you as my rival, never a real friend."

" After all this time, it might not be too late, as Queen of Dalmasca, I can petition to Rozarria for a fair trial on your behalf if you surrender right away" spoke Ashe.

" I never had the patience for silly meetings like that. I once more see you have some new good friends Luso, but all that is soon to be short lived" said the purple clad man.

Adelle frowned" You mean...?"

Dorek smirked" That's right, soon Armageddon will unleash it's wrath upon Ivalice, and those silly so-called Occurian deities too. I shall reign supreme."

" As a dictator no doubt! You're a monster!" exclaimed Cid.

" I prefer 'preident' or 'king', but they're technically the same thing" shrugged Dorek.

Luso pulled out the Sword of Light that the Occurians entrusted him with" I guess there's nothing more to talk about. I'm taking you down, Dorek, and I will free you from Armageddon."

" You may try, we only have so much time left now. Heck, since my parents died in a car crash, something in me snapped, I never felt the same since" sighed Dorek.

" If you're done monologuing, let's get on with this fight. I'm gonna beat you and stop Armageddon" said Luso, determination flaring in his eyes.

Dorek pulled his sword out and pointed it at his rival" You couldn't stop me at Rozarria' eastern fortress or the vortex near Nabradia! No draws this time, I will finish you off for real."

Luso nodded and returned the gesture" Good-bye, Dorek."

A few seconds passed, the two rivals lunged and clashed blades with each other.

Luso and Dorek parried each others' blows as their battle dragged on.

" We have to do something, Vaan" said Penelo.

" I guess I have to" said Vaan, drawing his own blade, the Anastasia Sword, and charged into the fray.

Dorek blasted the young sky pirate back with a Dark Fireball, but received a shocking sensation as Luso's new sword penetrated the barrier generated by the Dark Grimoire.

Dorek stumbled back and retaliated with Flare.

Baltheir and Fran fired their respective projectile weapons, but Dorek evaded their shots and launched three dark fireballs at them.

Penelo quickly cast cure spells on the injured heroes, while Adelle forced Dorek back with 'Lennart'.

" There's more where that came from, girls" sneered Dorek as he cast Ultima, which Basch quickly blocked with Shell.

Cid cast 'Air Render' at Dorek, only to have the madman cast Dark Flare straight at him.

Frimelda rushed in front of Cid, protecting him from the blast, only to be knocked backward and the two of them fell down.

" That smarts, you okay Cid?" gasped Frimelda.

Cid nodded" I've been shot several times before."

Dorek pulled out the Dark Grimoire and made ready to cast it's spell" It's over!"

" No way! Vaan, Adelle, I'll need your help to stop the Dark Grimoire's magick!" said Luso.

" you got it!" cried Adelle.

" Now you're talking" said the male blond sky pirate.

Just as Dorek fired a blast of Dark Magick from the Dark Grimoire, Luso powered the Grimoire of Light, directing powerful sacred magick on his rival" Starflare!"

" Pyroclasm!" " Lennart!"

Luso, Adelle and Vaan's spells clashed with the torrent of dark magick from the Dark Grimoire.

It was a three minute struggle, for the magicks were equal in might.

" Vaan, Adelle and Luso need help!" cried Penelo.

Ashe turned to advise Penelo" White Magick is very potent against the Dark Magick variety if I recall from my old magick lessons. Penelo, try casting Holy."

" Okay" said Penelo, charging up her white magick and throwing a spell into the mix of conflicting magicks" Holy!"

" Penelo, what are you doing?" said Vaan, who was still focusing his energy into Pyroclasm.

Penelo sighed as she concentrated White Magick into the mix" You can thank me later, Vaan. Just keep focusing!"

The spell cast by Penelo added to Vaan, Adelle and Luso's might as the ball of magick energy, which had been stalled into the middle, pushed forcefully onto Dorek.

The villain was surprised " What the heck? NOOOOO!"

A white explosion erupted from where the magick struck Dorek in the chest. The Dark Grimoire's barrier shattered completely and Dorek was thrown backwards onto the ground. The Dark Grimoire had been thrown out of his hands.

Laying wthin an inch of his life, Dorek gasped as he tried to cling from death" This.-this cannot be, I have lost... How could I be so blind... to the potential of the Light Grimoire?"

Luso sighed" Accept it, old friend. You lost."

Just then, a pure wave of darkness seeped from Dorek, a rift seemed to open in the room as a dark, scratchy voice boomed" I grow tired of this shell's whining! A puppet who's role is lost is mere garbage!"

" What's that voice?" gasped Adelle.

The being stepped forward from the newly-opened rift in the shape of a man-shaped shadow formed by dark magical energy" It is I, a being fused together by the Occurians. Those who know of me only dare speak my name: Armageddon."

" You're Armageddon? I heard he is a demon" said Luso.

" Actually, I used to be Occurian like the renegade Venat and that silly fool, Yeshua. But I was also part Hume" said the man-shaped shadow.

Dorek gasped as he tried to stand up" I had... no idea... The Occurians had a hand in this."

" Still alive, shell? DIE!" screeched Armageddon.

The demon put forth a ray of shadow which struck Dorek down again, and unleashed powerful magick" I now show you my true power!"

Armageddon blew the roof off the Shadow Fortress, and engulfed itself into a dark vortex.

" I have a bad feeling about this" said Vaan.

" We can tak him, Vaan! If we can defeat Venat, stop a deranged Aegyl-turned-Yahri/aurilith, and drive off a demon of the rift, I know we can do this!" said Penelo.

" She's right, the Leading Man never gives up" chimed Baltheir.

Vaan squared his shoulders" You're right, we'll take on whatever Armageddon throws at us."

Armageddon suddenly transformed into a silver-gray dragon with menacing dark claws and fangs" You think you can defeat me?"

Luso and Adelle charged, only to have to jump to avoid a torrent of magick fire.

" I won't let you have your way anymore" gasped Dorek, who had stood up.

" Glad you're back to normal, Dorekl" said Luso.

Dorek sighed" Not for long, I absorbed a bit of the Grimoire of Light's magick, I can help you."

" You annoying pest" snarled Armageddon, launching a torrent of silver fire at Dorek.

The man shook off the fire a bit and cast Ultima at the expense of his life force.

Dented, but not defeated, Armageddon snarled" Hss! Now He's done it!"

Once more the demon transformed, this time becoming a fusion of a man-shaped mass with a dragonlike mask.

" This is it, Luso, Sorry I could do no more. I'll be watching in spirit" gasped Dorek as he collasped, closed his eyes, and let his soul be taken into the afterlife.

Armageddon snarled as it drew a blade and a shield" Time for a little swordplay."

Luso and Vaan drove themselves forward to defeat the evil being.

The monster was just as good with a sword as it is with magick, as Luso and Vaan started to tire.

" I'll show him what a true Blademaster can do!" cried Frimelda as she charged forward with her two swords.

Armageddon deflected one of Frimelda's blows and hissed in pain as the other sword pierced it.

Luso cast Starflare, which slammed straight into the demon.

Armageddon furiously launched a torrent of white fire, which the team barely dodged.

" Is that it?" sneered the monster as it shape shifted for the last time into a man-like shadow, a purple crystal pulsed at the center.

" Take out that core!" said Cid to his allies.

Luso nodded" Got it."

" You cannot best me" said Armageddon, launching a dark energy blast.

Luso countered with Starflare. Adelle, Vaan and Penelo supplemented their ally's magick with theirs.

The struggle lasted until Luso's team's wills thrust the magick into the heart of their foe.

Armageddon shrieked in agony" How could I have lost?"

" No one ever messes with Clan Gully" said Luso.

" But... you are only..." gasped the monster.

" We happen to have kicked your sorry behind!" smirked Adelle.

" But I... am invincible" groaned Armageddon.

Luso shrugged" I don't think so, now let's test that theory guys!"

Luso, Adelle and Vaan thrust their blades into the shadowy demon's heart.

Drained of it's vitality, Armageddon exploded and vanished within a cloud of dark energy. The rift above it closed.

Just then, a humanoid spirit emerged from where Armageddon was" I thank you, Luso Clemens."

" Who are you?" said Luso.

The spirit replied" I believe you mean 'who _were _you?'. My name was Celestra, one of the Ancient Occurians. Whether I am base or sacred was dictated by the amount of darkness and light in Ivalice."

Luso smiled" I am glad we could help you, but what will happen now?"

Celestra replied" The Shadow Fortress will begin to collapse shortly, that which empowers it, 'Armageddon', is no more. Pandramonium and I will be no more, begone mortals."

The fortress began to shake.

" Let's get out of here, if we don't hurry, it could be ugly" said Vaan.

" But the _Galbana _is down at the bottom floor" said Adelle.

Luso sighed as he picked up Dorek's limp body" You have anymore Teleportation stones, Penelo?"

" Of course" said the female blond pirate as she pulled out a magick stone and teleported herself and the rest of the heroes to the _Galbana_.

The heroes launched the airship and blasted away from the shadow fortress as it began to fall and disintegrate.

From the safety of the airship a few feet away, the heroes watched as the fortress gradually vanished, taking the top floor of Rozarria's palace as it crashed.

" Let's go meet the others" said Vaan.

" Yeah, I am a little worried about Filo and Kytes" said Penelo.

The group landed their airship on the ground where the rest of their allies were waiting.

* * *

Another chapter complete with another cliffhanger. I tried to make this chapter as epic as possible, since a lot of end-Final Fantasy- finales were like that. Only the ending chapter remains to be done before I'm finished with this fic.

By the way, I hope I was accurate when discribing Basch and Baltheir's quickenings. Penelo's quickening seemed awkward so I didn't bother to try to describe it in this fic.

Also, for those of you not in the know, the name of Vaan's sword Anastasia is an actual item in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. At least I think so.

I hope you enjoy the epilogue, which may be a bit long, and please feel free to review.


	25. Epilogue

Well, this is the final chapter and epilogue of this fic. I enjoyed writing it, even though some of the chapters turned out kind of short, and the action scenes weren't all that great.

While I am at it, I must say that I do not take credit for Final Fantasy Tactics. That series is Squaresoft's work and was copyrighted by them. Hope you readers and reviewers enjoy this.

* * *

Epilogue

Luso, Adelle, Cid, Vaan, Penelo, Baltheir, Fran, Ashe, Basch and the rest of their allies gathered in the conference room of Rozarria Palace the following day.

Emperor Margrace addressed the heroes" I owe you all my citizens' lives, though I have caused a bit of trouble for my family and for Jylland."

Priscilla smiled at her husband" I'm just happy that we all survived."

Ashe nodded" Well, we should discuss a new treaty, but first we should rest, the last few days were taxing."

" I'd like that, oh and what about Dorek's body? I want him to have a proper burial" said Luso.

Larsa responded" Mewt, Ryan and Samantha are watching over him in the courtyard, I felt a bit of pity for him myself after learning of Armageddon's hold on him."

" At least he didn't end like Vayne and Dr. Cidolfus did several years ago, those were horrible ways to perish" said Penelo.

" Any word about Khamja, Cid?" inquired Vaan

Cid responded" With their leaders gone and without Kelvax and Dorek at the helm, I imagine that they were nearly all eradicated or disbanded."

Emperor Luther Margrace continued" With Jylland's leaders murdered in the recent war, I suppose we'll have to do something to ensure order and peace in all four of our countries."

Ashe spoke up" So what now, everyone?"

Luther Margrace replied" I will retire myself, the new Rozarrian Kingdom will be in the hands of Al-Cid."

" Can't imagine him as a king, but he's a good man" acknowledged Cid.

* * *

After a lengthily debate at Rozarria, the heroes spent the night in the palace before setting off for another meeting at Dalmasca's palace, accompanied by the Rozarrians.

May spoke with Luso" To be honest, I am relieved that it's all over."

" Me too, Aunt May" said her nephew.

Mewt, Ryan and Samantha approached as well.

" Luso, it is time to head back isn't it? Ivalice was an interesting place" said Samantha.

Hurdy piped up" While we are at it, I just finished composing the second ballad of Luso's adventures."

May smiled" I'd like to hear that sometime before I go home."

" Is this good-bye again, Luso?" asked Adelle.

" Actually, I have been doing a bit of thinking, Ivalice is a great place. I want to stay here, but I'd need to make a living somehow" said Luso.

Mewt spoke up" There is no reason for me to stay, unlike you Luso. The vortexes in Jylland have vanished."

Luso inquired " Wat a minute! What of the Dark and Light Grimoires?"

Al-Cid replied" They were retrieved yesterday and I had Emperor Larsa and Queen Ashellia examine them."

" Their powers were used up, but it was too risky to keep them around as trophies" said Larsa.

" So Vaan, Penelo and I hid them in a secret place" chimed Ashe.

Vaan piped up" Hopefully that will be the end of that. Penelo, Al-Cid, Ashe and I know where the grimoires are now, but we're taking the secret to our graves."

Lezaford spoke" Brenda and I will need to head back to Jylland, soon. What of you, Luso?"

Luso smiled" I decided this time to stay with Adelle."

" If that's your decision, you have my blessings. I'll miss you though" said May.

" Well, I guess I will play the ballad now, Kupo" smiled Hurdy, taking out his Harmonica.

" I'll be happy to sing along, if you don't mind if I make up the lyrics, Hurdy" chirped Penelo.

" Not at all, kupo" said Hurdy.

The rest of the group cleared the space before them, Hurdy and Penelo began to perform.

As they did, Lezaford and Mewt laid out the 'magick book' that brought Luso, Mewt and May originally, making a portal appear.

Mewt sighed" I never thought I would visit here again."

" Will we visit again sometime?" inquired Samantha.

As the song played, Luso invited Adelle to dance.

As they did, Luso smiled" Adelle, once everything settles completely, maybe we can do more missions together and hang out."

Adelle smiled" Never thought I would get to spend more time with you."

After the song was finished, Mewt spoke to Luso" Farewell."

" Take care of yourself, Mewt. Ryan, Samantha, Aunt May, will we see each other again?" said Luso.

" My future is back in our world, but you'll always be in my heart" said May.

" What if we used the gate key?" spoke Ryan.

Mewt sighed" It's no longer functional because the distortions are gone."

" The Occurians must have been cleaning up" remarked Samantha.

After saying good-bye, May, Mewt, Ryan and Samantha returned to the other world, taking Dorek's body, which is now in a casket, with them.

Filo sighed" How come we don't always get a happy ending?"

" We can still have one, we just need to make our own" said Penelo.

Al-Cid spoke with Larsa and Ashe" What shall the treaty entail?"

Larsa replied" Rozarria will still be a free country, but we have been thinking of uniting Rozarria, Dalmasca, Archadia and Jylland."

Basch glanced at Ashe" We'll still be seeing each other, your majesty."

" You know, I didn't trust you at first until I learned that you weren't responsible for my father's death. But now I like you a little" said Ashe.

Basch shrugged" Either way, I shall remain in Emperor Solidor's service, for House Solidor's future still rests with Larsa."

Larsa spoke up" Actually, it would not do if Dalmasca should falter with no heir in the foreseeable future. Gabranth, if you would spend the rest of your life somewhere, what would you do?"

Basch hesitated" I spent the last few years honoring my brother as Judge Gabranth."

Ashe sighed" It just wasn't meant to be I suppose."

"Judge Majister Gabranth, I did not wish to pull rank on you, but I would arrange your and Queen Ashellia's union. Will this arrangement be acceptable?"

An internal battle suddenly waged in Basch's heart and mind, until he said" I shall honor your request, what say you, Lady Ashellia?"

Ashe thought for a moment before replying" Your name was never cleared, Basch. But I am sure that all of Dalmasca will welcome you back, and perhaps the people will accept you if we explain that you never betrayed us. Also, I started to like you more when I learned you were innocent."

" Then is it a yes?" inquired Basch.

Ashe nodded" If it continues my famiily's legacy, also, I like you a little."

Basch spoke to Larsa" Your excellency, if I may, have you chosen a fiance yet? You are the last member of House Solidor after all."

" I have asked Princess Vanessa, who is the eldest sisterin the Rozarrian Royal Family-"

" And I agreed" said a voice as said princess walked up to him.

Al-Cid smiled" Our futures are as good as ensured then."

" You really don't mind, brother? We did take opposite sides in the war after all" said Vanessa.

" It is no trouble, we only did what we both thought was right" said Al-Cid.

" Thank you" said Vanessa.

Rikken spoke up" If you don't mind, Vaan, Elza, Raz and I require transport back to Balfonheim."

Vaan smiled" No problem."

Cid spoke to Adelle and Luso" Luso, Adelle, what do you two have in mind?"

Luso shrugged" I may spend a couple more years in Clan Gully with you and Adelle. Besides, I don't know how to do much else in Ivalice besides fighting."

" Experiance comes from mistakes" spoke Lezaford.

" He's right, Luso" said Frimelda.

Eventually, the heroes and their alliance disbanded to their respective homes. Luso, Cid, Frimelda, Adelle and the rest of Clan Gully went to Targ Wood in Jylland after escorting Lezaford back to his hut, and Brenda back to the fens on Ordalia.

Cid spoke to Luso" I had thought here and there about having a peaceful life for a change. But Clan Gully will not disbanded this time."

" What of you, Cid?" inquired Adelle.

Cid briefly glanced at Frimelda, then said" Frimelda and I discussed getting hitched."

Frimelda smiled" I cannot keep the mantle of a swordswoman for the rest of my life, so I accepted his proposal."

" Congratulations" said Luso.

" So Clan Gully is back together?" said Adelle.

Cid smiled" You bet, my clan's legacy shall not die out. Luso, you and Adelle are free to do as you please."

" Thanks a bunch" said Luso.

* * *

At the Aldanna Range, Penelo and Vaan were standing on top of a mountain.

" I'm glad the war is over now, Vaan" breathed Penelo.

Her partner nodded" It's been quite the adventure. But enough of that, there is something I want to ask you."

Penelo waited as Vaan pulled out a silver band and said" Penelo, will you marry me?"

The female blond blushed" I was wondering if we would ever get together like this. But what about your dream?"

" I had a good time, but I'm giving it up. Don't want to accidentally dig up those grimoires again after all. Besides, I had enough of treasure hunting for a lifetime" smirked Vaan.

" Well, I guess that's a yes on my part, then" said Penelo.

Vaan smiled as Penelo allowed him to slip the ring he bought yesterday onto her finger.

Penelo spoke up again" So, how will you make a living, now?"

Vaan shrugged" I can always join back up with Clan Gully. Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing Luso and Adelle again after all."

" I know what you mean, we made some good friends after all these past few years" said the female blond.

As Vaan and Penelo were about to kiss, a voice called out" Hey! Someone need a chaperon?"

Vaan and Penelo turned to see Kytes, Filo, Llyud, Baltheir and Fran nearby.

" Who asked you to watch this time, Kytes?" said Vaan.

Kytes shrugged" Filo asked me to."

Fran shrugged" Baltheir insisted on 'watching the scenario unfold' as he put it."

Baltheir grinned at Vaan" Guess I rubbed off much on you after all."

Penelo addressed Llyud" How are your people, Llyud?"

The red winged Aegyl replied" My people have decided to earn their own homes after all. We are not so different from Humes, apart from our wings and shorter life span."

" So you and Penelo are getting hitched, Vaan?" piped Kytes.

" Pretty much, what about you Kytes?" smiled Penelo.

Kytes shrugged" I've been doing a lot of studying on magick, in fact Larsa asked if I would like to be Archades's official Court Mage, I decided to do that instead of being a sky pirate like you."

" We'll be sure to visit sometimes" said Vaan.

" Promise?" asked Kytes.

Penelo smiled" We will."

* * *

A few years passed. Ivalice was once more at peace.

Cid continued to lead Clan Gully up till he and Frimelda wed and settled in Camoa.

Rodrick, Morricad, Anthony and Bremah continued to display their unwavering loyalty to Cid's clan till they were ready to retire.

Mewt Randell had returned home with his new girlfriend, May. The pair were married in a few short years.

Ryan and Samantha attended Dorek's funeral. They often visited Dorek's family's graves and sometimes thought of their other childhood friend, Luso.

Kytes settled down as Archadia's official Court Magician. He continued to study magick to the end of his days.

Princess Blair became a general in the new Rozarrian army, sometimes she visited her sister.

Rikken and Elza returned to Balfonheim. Rikken eventually became the new mayor of the port town with his girlfriend Elza and their loyal companion, Raz.

Judge Zargabaath remained at the Emperor of Archadia's side as Judge Majister until he passed away.

The old Sage Lezaford lived the rest of his life peacefully in his hut after returning to the Aldanna Range.

The viera witch, Brenda, returned to the fens on Ordalia. Eventually she took on an apprentice: Mjirn, who had once more decided to leave Eruyt Village to find ways to help other people in Ivalice.

Al-Cid Margrace became the new Emperor of Rozarria and went about establishing treaties with Dalmasca and Archadia. He still was popular among women.

The former emperor of Rozarria became the Prime Minister, offering guidance to Al-Cid.

Prince Xander went to Jylland and served with justice and compassion as it's new Governor.

Filo took further interest in a certain crimson-winged Aegyl, and the pair started dating, eventually settling down together in Rebanastre.

Baltheir and Fran tired of Sky Pirating after taking the bounty from their old nemesis Ba'Gamnan's capture. They wed and took residence in Old Archades, though they still occasionally hunted for treasure.

Hurdy returned to his job as a Moogling Attendant, though sometimes performed as a Bard.

The Emperor of Archadia Larsa and the Princess of Rozarria Vanessa married. In a couple years they had a child, and Larsa was no longer the sole member of House Solidor remaining.

Ashellia Dalmasca and Basch Fon Rosenburg were eventually married. The Dalmascan court and the Dalmascan Royal Knights was in a bit of an uproar, but eventually accepted the new found love between the queen and her loyal knight who still took occasional trips to Archadia as a Consort and Diplomat. Ashe and Basch's legacy would be continued by their daughter: Princess Tria Dalmasca Fon Rosenburg.

Vaan and Penelo settled down in Rebanastre after marrying. Even though he gave up life as a Sky Pirate, Vaan sometimes went on missions with Clan Gully. Eventually, he and Penelo had twin children.

Luso Clemens and Adelle shared more adventures before buying a house in Camoa, near the woods where they had first met. The pair were married, and Luso had soon decided to help lead Clan Gully in Cid's place after the blond leader retired. Adelle eventually had a child with her new husband, who they named Ken.

Vaan, Luso, Adelle, Penelo, Ashe, Basch and Larsa eventually saw peace and stability returned to Ivalice during that time. Peace continued to reign.

**The End**

* * *

Well, that wraps up this fic. I hope I didn't surprise anyone was too many OC pairings. I realize that I kind of added more OCs to the endings but perhaps I can come up with a Sequel. I can't make any promises though. Also, I apologize if any characters seemed OOC.

Also, I kind of did the individual character/coupled endings in the style of some of the Fire Emblem series games.

I owe thanks to you readers and reviewers. Especially Teddypro and Nicknasby. I'm still an amateur writer, but I do my best.

Please feel free to review.

Well, has stopped deleting 'adult' stories for now, hopefully things stay that way.


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